Security officer charged with stealing insulin from St. Louis Park clinic

ST. LOUIS PARK, Minn. (FOX 9) - A Minneapolis man was charged Thursday with stealing nine boxes of insulin from a clinic in St. Louis Park, Minnesota where he worked as a security officer. 

Bradley Stockert, 44, was charged on July 19 with a single count of theft. 

According to the charges, officials at the Park Nicollet Clinic noticed that since March, there had been several incidents of insulin going missing. They installed a security camera inside the room where the medication was kept, but did not tell anyone it was there. 

On June 24, officials checked the inventory in the room and noticed several boxes of insulin were missing. They reviewed the security camera footage and saw Stockert entering the locked room the day before and removing several boxes of insulin from the refrigerator. 

Stockert is accused of stealing five boxes of Lantus Insulin Pens and four boxes of Humalog KwikPens, totaling over $4,300. 

Stockert was charged by summons. He is expected to make his first court appearance on Aug. 20. 

While the county attorney's office confirms the suspect is diabetic, they say it remains unclear why he stole more than $4,300 worth of insulin.

According to the American Diabetes Association, 7.5 million people live with diabetes in the U.S.

"People are going to Canada, they're going to Mexico, they're flying all over the world to get affordable insulin," says Nicole Smith-Holt, diabetes advocate.

Some even turn to the black market... "Meeting people in alleys, using friends or family members' insulin," explains Smith-Holt.

One in four living with diabetes are rationing, either reducing their dosage or how often they take insulin, which can lead to serious complications or even death.