MELBOURNE, Fla. – The director of administration at an out-patient surgery center in Melbourne was taken into custody Thursday after police said an undercover operation revealed the man had removed surgical equipment from the center and was selling it without permission.
Corey Hollmann, 44, of Melbourne was charged with dealing in stolen property and grand theft after a Melbourne police officer purchased a skin grafting device from Hollmann through eBay, reported News 6 partner Florida Today. The device was property of Health First Holmes Regional Medical Center, which manages Melbourne Same Day Surgery where Hollmann worked as the director of administration, police report.
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Police began investigating a report that surgical equipment missing from the medical center was appearing for sale on eBay March 22. Equipment matching the description of the items missing — a video monitor, a surgical video and image recording device, and the skin grafting device — were located on eBay by a seller with the username msds1035, according to the warrant.
Melbourne Same Day Surgery is located at 1035 S. Apollo Boulevard.
An officer messaged the seller, who was later identified as Hollmann, through eBay under the guise of being a prospective customer looking to purchase the skin grafting machine, according to the warrant.
After exchanging messages, the officer met Hollmann to purchase the device — valued at $2,500 — at the surgery center. She paid Hollmann $150, according to the warrant.
The security director at the surgery center told police Hollmann did not have permission to remove or sell the equipment. He was fired from Melbourne Same Day Surgery following the incident, according to the warrant.
In a call with police, Hollmann said the equipment was expired, and he was selling it in order to buy new equipment, according to the warrant. He told police he wasn't aware he needed permission to remove the devices, despite Health First having a procedure to dispose of expired equipment.
"Corey had no permission from anyone to sell items belonging to HRMC or Health First," an officer stated in the warrant.
Hollmann was booked into the Brevard County Jail at 7:45 p.m. Thursday on a $7,000 bond. He was released Friday.