(Tribune News Service) — A dental technician working at a clinic serving U.S. military veterans made thousands of dollars on the side by stealing precious metals from his job, federal prosecutors said.

The employee sold the stolen metals — including gold, silver and palladium — meant for patients’ teeth procedures at the Albany Stratton Veterans Affairs Medical Center, according to prosecutors in the Northern District of New York. He’s accused of doing so between October 2017 and May 2021.

He made $17,574 by selling the precious metals that were supposed to be recycled and reused to make crowns, bridges and other artificial materials for teeth, officials said.

The man, 65, of Delanson, N.Y., pleaded guilty to theft of government property on June 6, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of New York announced in a news release.

He’s facing up to 10 years in prison at a sentencing hearing scheduled for Oct. 4, according to prosecutors.

The man’s defense attorney Lee Kindlon told McClatchy News in a statement on June 7 that his client “deeply regrets his actions and has promised to make full restitution to the U.S. government.”

“It is our hope that with his admission of guilt and expression of remorse, the court will be lenient and allow (him) to move on from this setback,” Kindlon said.

Although prosecutors have publicly identified the man, McClatchy News isn’t naming him because he’s not accused of a crime causing direct physical harm to another person.

According to court documents, the man’s position as a dental technician allowed him access to precious metals at the Veterans Affairs clinic in Albany.

He’s accused of lying to Veterans Affairs by saying certain metals couldn’t be reused for dental procedures, his plea agreement says.

However, the metals, including gold and silver, were in perfect condition for recycling and reuse, according to the plea agreement.

“Without authorization,” the man stole the metals for himself and sold them to a third-party refinery, the plea agreement says.

For example, on May 14, 2021, he stole palladium, gold and silver from the dental clinic and resold them to make $4,156, according to the plea agreement.

As of June 6, the stolen metals haven’t been recovered, the plea agreement says.

In addition to a potential prison sentence, the man could be ordered to pay a fine of up to $250,000 at a sentencing hearing, according to the release.

The case was investigated by the Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General, prosecutors said.

©2023 The Charlotte Observer.

Visit charlotteobserver.com.

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.