Medications Stolen From Mount Vernon Hospital Sold On eBay

MOUNT VERNON, VA — Fairfax County Police have arrested and charged a man believed to have stolen medications from local hospitals and sold them on eBay for profit.

Burke Slater, 52, of Gaithersburg, Maryland, is accused of stealing seven medical kits worth about $33,000 apiece, five from INOVA Mount Vernon Hospital and two from a hospital in Maryland. Police say he works for a medical supply vendor and had access to hospital operating rooms.

Slater then allegedly sold the kits online, and they were resold to customers in Florida, Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Washington State. Detectives located six of the seven and contacted the customers. The customers have cooperated with the investigation, returning the medical kits, providing receipts, order confirmations and tracking numbers. Detectives do not believe the customers knew the items were stolen.

Police learned about the stolen medications when a medical supplier in Florida found some medical kits on eBay and traced the serial numbers back to INOVA Mount Vernon Hospital.

Slater has been charged with five counts of grand larceny, five counts of possessing stolen property with intent to sell and one count of money laundering. He turned himself in Wednesday morning and has been released on bond.

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Image via Fairfax County Police