Reading man accused of stealing credit cards from wallet in Reading Hospital employee break room
A Reading man is in Berks County Prison following his arrest by West Reading police on charges he stole a Reading Hospital worker’s credit cards from his lunch bag in an employee break room, then tried to use them at two stores in the borough.
John M. Kantner, 59, of the 1300 block of Pershing Boulevard was jailed in lieu of $50,000 bail to await a hearing following arraignment before District Judge David L. Yoch in Reading Central Court.
Kantner faces charges of access device fraud, theft by unlawful taking and receiving stolen property.
According to court records:
On June 30, the victim was notified by his financial institution of fraudulent attempts to use credit cards at Sunoco. It was only then that he realized two cards from his wallet had been stolen.
Two attempts were also made to use the card for purchases in the Rite Aid store.
The victim called police, telling an officer that he believed someone stole the cards while his wallet was in his lunch bag in an employee break room. Whoever stole the cards had to dig to the bottom to remove them, he said.
Police obtained security camera footage from the Rite Aid and identified Kantner as the suspect from their interactions with him in another case.
Video footage from the hospital shows Kantner entering the employees only lunch room at 8:53 a.m. on June 30 and leaving 10 minutes later. At 9:19 a.m., he re-enters the break room, leaving 32 minutes later.
On July 26, a police officer on routine patrol saw Kantner sitting on a bench outside the hospital. He made contact with Kantner and read him his Miranda rights, telling him there was video of him entering the employees-only break room.
Kantner denied memory of that incident, but did state he only took about $100.
Police obtained a warrant for his arrest a few days later.
