A state Department of Public Safety officer became suspicious when he saw a woman carrying two boxes leaving the back of the convention center

NEW ORLEANS — As the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center receives thousands of beds to serve as an emergency field hospital, its public safety director stole 80 N95 masks, The Times-Picayune | The New Orleans Advocate reported.

58-year-old Vernon Giscombe was arrested Friday and faces one count of malfeasance in office, Louisiana State Police records said.

N95 masks are necessary for health care workers who are treating COVID-19 patients.

The Times-Picayune | The New Orleans Advocate reported that a state Department of Public Safety officer became suspicious when he saw a woman carrying two boxes leaving the back of the convention center, placing them in a sliver sedan late Friday night.

Stopping the car, the officer learned Giscombe, the driver, and the woman with him were both employees at the convention center’s public safety department.

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