Coon Rapids man pleads guilty to stealing prosthetic limbs

A former manager of prosthetics at the University of Minnesota Medical Center-Fairview pleaded guilty Thursday to stealing artificial limbs from the hospital and then selling them on eBay.

Peter Stasica of Coon Rapids pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud. Prosecutors accused him of stealing more than $122,000 worth of prosthetics and supplies from February to August 2011 while he was prosthetics manager at the U of M Medical Center-Fairview.

As manager, Stasica's duties included buying supplies and equipment, working with vendors, and advising patients about whether new prosthetic limbs were necessary.

Stasica also admitted that he asked patients for prosthetics they were not using without telling them he was going to sell them online. Court documents say Stasica sold more than 60 prosthetics and related supplies to approximately 40 buyers.

A federal judge will sentence Stasica at a later date. He faces up to 20 years in prison.

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