San Francisco, CA –
District Attorney Brooke Jenkins announced today that Niyja Anthony Bassard (24) has been charged in connection to a series of thefts of over $200,000 of Apple devices uniquely configured for UCSF Medical Center staff use. Mr. Bassard, a senior security officer at UCSF Medical Center, was arrested on June 22, 2023, by the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) Police Department. He was arraigned on June 28, 2023, and pled not guilty to 17 counts of felony second degree commercial burglary (PC 459), 17 counts of grand theft (PC 487(a)), and two felony counts of accessing without permission another’s computer system to alter and delete data (PC 502(c)(4)).
“Commercial burglary deeply impacts small businesses and large institutions alike and must be taken seriously,” said District Attorney Brooke Jenkins. “In a case like this, we’re talking about equipment that may have been used for life saving purposes or treatments. We do not underestimate or discount the gravity of this criminal conduct in any case and will seek to hold individuals accountable.”
According to court documents, Mr. Bassard’s position involved patrolling various UCSF medical buildings and facilities. From May 2022 through June 2023, multiple thefts of Apple devices were reported in locations where there was no evidence of forced entry. UCSF Police Department investigators were able to tie Mr. Bassard to the alleged thefts. These Apple devices were uniquely configured for use by medical staff in their duties at UCSF. The loss of these devices exceeds $200,000.
Mr. Bassard’s next court date is July 27, 2023, to set the preliminary hearing date in this case. He has been ordered to stay away from UCSF Medical Center locations. If convicted of all charges, he faces up to 15 years in State Prison.
Although charges have been filed, this remains an active investigation. Anyone with information is asked to call the UCSF Police Department at 1-415-476-1414 or email at police.ucsf.edu.
Court Number: 23009349
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