The CEO of a New Jersey clinical reference lab is accused of impersonating a vendor technician in order to break into a rival lab to steal and destroy equipment, the Justice Department announced Friday.

Eric Leykin, 32, of Brooklyn, New York, bought a cell phone with prepaid minutes on June 30, 2022, and proceeded to activate the phone and call an employee of a rival clinical reference lab, also based in New Jersey.

Mr. Leykin is accused of impersonating a technician working for a vendor paid by the victim lab to fix and upkeep equipment, setting up an appointment to visit said rival lab the next day.

On July 1, Mr. Leykin went to the lab. The employee let Mr. Leykin in, unaware of his alleged scheme.

Mr. Leykin unplugged a backup generator, cut the wires of the building’s surveillance system, damaged equipment in the lab, according to his May 24 indictment for wire fraud. 

Mr. Leykin is also accused of taking four hard drives with patient information on them from the victim lab’s servers, and of making three computers inoperable by taking the hard drives out.

If convicted on the one count of wire fraud, Mr. Leykin would face up to 20 years in prison and a fine of either $250,000 or twice the gain or loss incurred by the offense, whichever sum is higher.

Neither the indictment nor the Justice Department announcement mentioned any theoretical and additional charges of theft or vandalism against Mr. Leykin.

• Brad Matthews can be reached at bmatthews@washingtontimes.com.