RICHLAND COUNTY, S.C. — An investigation into the theft of several thousands of dollars worth of medical equipment has led not only to a former hospital employee's arrest but also to another man found with even more stolen goods.
Columbia Police said the initial investigation began after security at Prisma Health Baptist Hospital reviewed security video on Feb. 23 and reported the theft of an electrocardiogram machine worth $25,000.
The same team would later report another theft to police on March 1 of two "Welch Allyn" machines that were valued between $30,000 and $50,000 and a mobile computer worth about $8,000.
An investigation by the Columbia Police Department's property crimes Unit led to the arrest of 36-year-old Gregory L. Gill who was charged with two counts of grand larceny of $10,000 or more. in a statement released on Friday, police described Gill as a former employee of Prisma Health employee though it's unclear if he was working there at the time of the thefts.
Authorities believe the items may have been stolen to be resold.
Investigators found and recovered most of the equipment from a home on Indigo Springs Drive where the Richland County Sheriff's Department assisted and began their own investigation.
The sheriff's department confirmed to News19 that the Columbia Police Department search warrant led them to a large cache of other stolen goods and another arrest.
The sheriff's department announced on Friday that it had found "hundreds of thousands of dollars" in stolen items at the home of 54-year-old Yong Li Dong in the 200 block of Indigo Springs Drive.
While in the home assisting with the Columbia Police investigation of stolen medical equipment, deputies said they found hundreds of items - many with security tags still attached - that they suspected were tied to shoplifting cases in the area.
Investigators valued the stolen merchandise had a cumulative price tag of over $500,000 and included items from Lowe's, Walmart, Home Depot, Target, and other businesses that had loss prevention teams come to recover their items.
Authorities are still working to determine how Dong obtained the merchandise and why, however, he now faces charges of receiving stolen goods valued at $10,000 or more from the sheriff's department and is expected to face more from the Columbia Police Department.
