A medical sales company representative reportedly ordered $357,000 worth of human skin for other uses while on the job.
According to the Associated Press, Gary Dudek, 54. of Wallingford, Pa., was charged with theft, receiving stolen property, and tampering with records of the regenerative medicine firm where until September, he worked as a sales representative managing accounts for Mercy Philadelphia Hospital's bioscience department. The position at Organogenesis, allowed Dudek to order skin tissue for the hospital at will according to WCAU-TV.
While the hospital only needed a few skin grafts at a time, Dudek reportedly placed orders for over 200 unapproved sheets for shipment to places other than the hospital between November 2011, and July, 2013 according to investigators AP reported.
Dudek's attorney told WCAU-TV, Mercy has not proven that the former sales rep did anything illegal.
"If Mercy Hospital has suffered losses and they can be deemed to be as a result of Mr. Dudek's actions then perhaps a civil suit could have been initiated," Eugene Tinari said. "But to take this into the criminal arena against a man who has been nothing but hard-working and law-abiding his entire life is a bit draconian, in my view."
However, hospital officials reportedly discovered the grafts weren't calculated upon auditing their finances WCAU reported.
Officials also claim surveillance footage shows Dudek transporting the skin to his car from the medical facility on two occasions WCAU-TV reported.
It is not known what Dudek did with the skin or why he ordered the novelty, except that he wanted to make money.
Dudek was released after posting 10 percent of a $10,000 bail Tuesday, after a Monday arrest.
Organogenesis's director of corporate communications told The Philadelphia Daily News Dudek's sales rep position would not have required him to use human skin.
"We're known as the most ethical company in the business," Angelyn Lowe said.
