Former Pitt emergency management director pleads guilty to stealing PPE, selling it online

The former director of emergency management at the University of Pittsburgh pleaded guilty Wednesday to stealing more than 13,000 pieces of personal protective equipment from the school’s stockpile at the beginning of the covid-19 pandemic to sell at inflated prices online.

Christopher Casamento, 42, of Ross, will be sentenced on a single count of interstate transportation of stolen property on June 15 by Senior U.S. District Judge Arthur J. Schwab. He was indicted in federal court in March.

Advisory guidelines call for incarceration of 6 to 12 months. In addition, Casamento must pay restitution, which his attorney, Justin Ginter, said had already been turned over.

The FBI said Casamento netted $18,783.50 from the online PPE sales from Feb. 27, 2020, through March 22, 2020.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Gregory Melucci said the FBI in Pittsburgh was alerted by the online payment system PayPal in April 2020 that it had processed 71 payments for the eBay sales account steel-city-motor-toys totaling $19,373.81.

The account traced back to Casamento, who had been hired by Pitt in 2007.

Casamento had access to the PPE, which was stored for use by employees and students, in his position as the director of emergency management at the university. He was fired in July 2020.

Melucci said that Casamento was selling the PPE at inflated prices. For example, he sold the 3M Aura 9210 — or N95 — mask for $11 each, even though they retailed at $1.50 each. Casamento sold a 10-pack of the masks for $110, the government said.

Melucci said that Casamento also sold surgical facemasks and particulate masks.

When questioned by the FBI, Casamento admitted selling the PPE on eBay.

Since his arrest, Casamento, who has been out on bond, received his home inspector’s license with hopes to work in that field, Ginter said.