University guard charged with stealing $200,000 of Apple devices

A security guard at the University of California, San Francisco, is facing up to 15 years in prison after being charged with grand theft and other felonies.

Niyja Bassard, aged 24, was arrested on June 22, for stealing over $200,000 worth of Apple devices that were intended to be used by UCSF medical center staff. According to the San Francisco Chronicle, Bassard was arraigned on Wednesday.

He pleaded not guilty to 17 counts of felony second degree commercial burglary and 17 counts of grand theft. Bassard also pleaded not guilty to two further felony counts concerning his unauthorized access to UCSF computer systems.

"Commercial burglary deeply impacts small businesses and large institutions alike and must be taken seriously," San Francisco District Attorney Brooke Jenkins told the publication. "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," Jenkins continued.

Court documents say that as a security guard, Bassard was able to patrol "various" medical buildings. The thefts, which began in May 2022 and continued up to June 2023, were all from locations where there was no sign of any forced entry.

Bassard will be back in court on July 27, 2023. In the meantime, he is required to stay away from UCSF Medical Center locations.

UCSF's Medical Center has previously been involved with heart studies using Apple Watch.