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- Jason Brauner, 47, was arrested for allegedly stealing $25,000 in medical equipment.
- He accessed restricted areas at Holy Cross Hospital in Lehi multiple times in November.
- Brauner has a history of similar thefts in Utah and California.
LEHI — A Salt Lake City man with a history of stealing from hospitals has been arrested for allegedly stealing more than $20,000 worth of medical supplies and equipment in Lehi.
Jason Brauner, 47, was booked into the Utah County Jail on Monday for investigation of theft and two counts of burglary.
On Nov. 25, Lehi police were called to Holy Cross Hospital — Mountain Point, 3000 North Triumph Blvd., regarding a burglary.
"It was reported that a male suspect, later identified as Jason Brauner, entered the hospital … in the early morning hours and stole approximately $10,000 worth of medical equipment from the emergency room. Upon full inventory, hospital staff found that it was approximately $25,000 worth of medical supplies and devices to include skin grafts and medical tools," a police booking affidavit states.
Detectives later learned that between Nov. 11 and Nov. 26, "Brauner entered the hospital during overnight hours without authorization, accessed restricted areas, and removed hospital property. Surveillance footage showed Brauner entering through unsecured dock doors, moving through restricted materials and supply areas, and exiting the facility carrying hospital products concealed under his arms," according to the affidavit.
Surveillance video from Nov. 25 showed Brauner entering the hospital at 12:30 a.m., "wearing dark blue hospital scrubs and a surgical mask," and leaving about 10 minutes later carrying several items under his arms, the affidavit states.
"Through subsequent review of surveillance footage," several hospital staff members recognized Brauner as a "former hospital housekeeper" who did not have valid credentials, police stated in their affidavit.
"It was further discovered that multiple secured doors, including core access and operating room access doors, had been intentionally taped open, facilitating unauthorized access into restricted areas of the hospital. It was unknown if Brauner had taped the doors open or if it was hospital staff that taped the doors to avoid keying into certain areas of the hospital, but the doors were unsecured regardless," according to the affidavit.
Police noted in their affidavit that Brauner is also being investigated for "similar thefts at other hospital facilities, including an incident in West Jordan in November."
In 2023, Brauner, then an employee at Heber Valley Hospital, was arrested and later charged and convicted of using his access badge to steal from that hospital.
Brauner was also convicted of aggravated child abuse, a third-degree felony, in October in one case and placed on three years' probation, and burglary of a building, a third-degree felony, in October in a second case and placed on another two years of probation. In the burglary case, Brauner was convicted of using a University of Utah employee badge, where he used to work, and accessing a health care building in Murray, where he stole a laptop and other items, according to court documents.
According to his latest booking affidavit, Brauner was also arrested in California in July for allegedly "stealing approximately $100,000 worth of medical supplies and equipment and is currently on probation in California for that offense."
Police say "Brauner's prior employment in hospital settings explains his possession of hospital-style scrubs and an ID badge and demonstrates his familiarity with hospital layouts, access points, and supply storage areas," according to the affidavit.
Investigators served a search warrant on Brauner's residence "where multiple documents were located, including handwritten medical inventory sheets to include possible stolen medical products, as well as a handwritten script to contact medical providers interested in purchasing bone grafts under," the affidavit states. Detectives questioned Brauner's wife who "confirmed that he has been selling bone grafts and skin grafts to companies around the county along with other disposable medical supplies" while adding that "she believed he had stopped his criminal behavior of stealing and reselling items from hospitals despite his continued operation."
