Former Hospital Worker Charged With Stealing Anti-Malaria Medication

A former pharmacy technician has been charged with allegedly stealing anti-malaria tablets last month from a hospital where he worked, the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office announced today. Christopher Mencias Agustin (dob 11/22/84) of Torrance was charged in case BA486647 with two felony counts of second-degree burglary during an emergency and one felony count of concealing or withholding stolen property exceeding $950. The case was filed for warrant on April 20.

He is expected to be arraigned today in Department 30 of the Foltz Criminal Justice Center. Deputy District Attorney Michael Fern of the Cyber Crime Division is prosecuting the case. On two separate occasions, the defendant is accused of entering Harbor-UCLA Medical Center to steal prescription drugs. More than 700 tablets of hydroxychloroquine and azithromycin, which are used to treat malaria and recently touted to possibly combat COVID-19, were allegedly taken. The estimated total value of the tablets is about $6,700, the prosecutor said.

If convicted as charged, the defendant faces a possible maximum sentence of four years and four months in jail.

The case remains under investigation by the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department. About the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office Los Angeles County District Attorney Jackie Lacey leads the largest local prosecutorial office in the nation. Her staff of nearly 1,000 attorneys, 300 investigators and 800 support staff members is dedicated to protecting our community through the fair and ethical pursuit of justice and the safeguarding of crime victims' rights.