A Pennsylvania man is accused of stealing $357,000 worth of skin grafts from a Philadelphia hospital over the course of two years, according to CBS News.
Gary Dudek, 54, allegedly stole the grafts from Mercy Philadelphia Hospital between November 2011 and July 2013. On Monday, he was arrested and charged with theft, receiving stolen property, and tampering with records.
In January, hospital employees witnessed Dudek take skin grafts to his car and saw him commit the same act in surveillance footage.
According to Philly.com, Dudek is a "tissue-regeneration specialist," or a sales representative, at Organogenesis -- a Massachusetts company specializing in regenerative medicine.
Angela Lowe, a Organogenesis spokeswoman, said Dudek worked at the firm from September 2006 to September 2013 but that his job did not require the use of human skin.
"We're known as the most ethical company in the business," Lowe said.
Skin grafts are large pieces of human skin used on patients who suffer from burns or large skin infections. According to Lowe, Organogensis does not purchase or sell the grafts and just created a new product, called Apligraf, which mimics real skin.
Authorities told Philly.com they are unsure of a motive and do not know what happened to the grafts that he allegedly stole.
Dudek's preliminary hearing is scheduled for June 10.
