Ambulance driver convicted of stealing valuables off dead bodies

An ambulance driver from Rishon LeZion was convicted on two counts of theft. He was found guilty of stealing valuables off of dead bodies he was driving as part of his job. Legal steps are also being taken against an additional defendant in the case.

According to the indictment, the driver was employed by a private company that evacuates bodies of deceased civilians, which works with the Israel Police. The second defendant was employed by the company as an assistant driver. One year ago, the two defendants arrived at a Rishon LeZion home where Yosef Moshovitz had passed away. An additional employee working for the company also arrived at the house.

The additional employee spoke with the family of the deceased while the two defendants entered another room to wrap up the body. The indictment says that the second defendant removed a gold wedding ring from the deceased's finger. When the family members entered the room, Yosef's daughter noticed his ring was missing. The family members and the employees began arguing, and the employees left the house without evacuating the body.

Several days earlier, Nir Gadon was killed in a motorcycle accident in Jerusalem. A vehicle owned by the same company arrived at the scene. The two defendants evacuated the body and took it the Abu Kabir Forensic Institute.

While the convicted defendant was driving the ambulance, the second defendant searched the body for valuables and took 150 shekels from the wallet that was on it and an IPhone 6 from the deceased's coat. The money was distributed equally between the two. The defendant was sentenced to 6 months of community service and a 4,000 shekel fine, which will be given to the grieving families.