Doral taxpayers bought N95 masks for coronavirus pandemic use. Over 950 disappeared.
The 960 disposable N95 masks missing from medical equipment purchased by the city of Doral did get to a city employee, police say.
Doral officers say they found about 100 of the masks Wednesday in the Kendall home of Doral Public Works foreman Michel Merchan.
But officers say they weren’t supposed to be there.
Merchan, a Doral employee since September, was charged with grand theft of medical equipment and third-degree grand theft. The 45-year-old city employee posted $12,500 bond Thursday afternoon.
The rest of the masks are apparently still missing.
Doral bought the equipment to help protect essential workers from the novel coronavirus. But a check revealed the shipment to be 960 masks light.
When police reviewed surveillance video, they say they saw Merchan getting into the boxes with the masks, unpacking and repacking them, before putting them in his city vehicle.
Detectives made a trip to Kendall and say they found 100 N95 masks at Merchan’s home.
Merchan’s only previous criminal conviction was in 1995 when he was sentenced to two years’ probation for aggravated battery with a deadly weapon.
His probation was ended after 357 days. Miami-Dade court records say he still owes $255 from that case. Merchan did not immediately return a message left on a number listed as his cellphone.
This story was originally published April 30, 2020 at 4:55 PM.
