Officers in California are looking for a person who has been accused of stealing greater than $1 million price of COVID-19 checks whereas working for a company that shops and distributes testing kits to customers throughout the nation.
Demand for COVID-19 checks surged within the early weeks of 2022 amid the fast unfold of the Omicron variant throughout and instantly following the winter vacation season. In early January, testing facilities in a number of states reported hours-long strains whereas many pharmacies briefly ran out of testing kits. The uptick in demand and restricted testing provides prompted authorities officers to warn Individuals about worth gouging and gross sales of fraudulent testing kits.
In Santa Ana, a metropolis positioned inside California's Orange County, police stated this week that a man recognized as 33-year-old Carlitos Peralta allegedly stole COVID-19 checks valued at an estimated $1,000,575. Based on reporting by The Los Angeles Occasions, Peralta is alleged to have stolen the checks over the course of a number of weeks as demand spiked all through the nation.
On the time of the alleged theft, Peralta was working as a warehouse supervisor for the Covid Clinic positioned alongside the 3400 block of MacArthur Boulevard. Police stated Covid Clinic has seven U.S. warehouses during which COVID-19 testing kits are saved and ultimately distributed to testing clinics, faculties, motels and different clients.
Peralta "had entry to the delivery and supply system from the varied warehouses" operated by Covid Clinic, police stated in a February 23 information launch. That entry allegedly enabled Peralta to ship virtually 100 shipments to his residence, inside which have been the COVID-19 testing kits he's accused of stealing.
Sergeant Maria Lopez, a spokesperson for Santa Ana police, instructed the Occasions that Peralta allegedly directed one of many shipments to his residence by citing a co-worker because the sender. Police have been made conscious of Peralta's alleged actions after that co-worker reported the incident to their supervisor, the Occasions reported.
Authorities didn't specify of their media advisory when Peralta is alleged to have stolen the checks or what number of checks are believed to have been taken, however the Occasions reported authorities believed he started redirecting shipments to his residence in late December and continued doing so by means of early February. An try to arrest Peralta on February 9 was unsuccessful, in accordance with the Occasions, and police stated his location was nonetheless unknown as of the afternoon of February 23.
Police have inspired anybody who believes they could have details about Peralta to contact Santa Ana detectives.
Newsweek reached out to Santa Ana police for additional remark and can replace this text with any response.
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