A Maryland man was arrested in Washington, D.C. after police say he paid people $30 each to have their blood drawn inside an abandoned apartment.
According to NBC Washington, officers were called on Wednesday to an abandoned apartment on P Street SW after reports of a large crowd outside. Police say Khoa, a 43 year old from Rockville, Maryland, was running the operation. He was charged with practicing registered nursing without a license, according to charging documents.
Khoa told officers he worked for Boston Biosource, a Newton, Massachusetts company that supplies blood and tissue samples for research. Police say he also said he had drawn blood from about 40 people over two days. Officers then found a ledger in the apartment listing 205 additional names. Police also said he could not produce any license, documentation or certification showing he was qualified to draw blood, and that the blood was not being stored the way professionals are supposed to store it.
A woman who showed up at the scene described the setup as a “work study.” Another woman who lined up but did not sell her blood told reporters, “It was free money.”
Boston Biosource told News4 that Khoa collects blood in higher risk areas for research into diseases like cancer, tuberculosis and Alzheimer’s disease. Police said they were unable to reach a company representative.
The charge was an allegation at the time of the arrest, and Khoa had not been convicted of anything.
Made to order and shipped to your door.
