Former Mayo Clinic Employee Charged With $191K Theft

Rochester, MN (KROC-AM News) - A former employee has been accused of stealing nearly $200,000 from Mayo Clinic.

A criminal complaint filed in Olmsted County court says an investigation was launched by the Rochester Police Department in late August after Mayo Clinic officials noticed unusual expenses related to credit card charges for the maintenance of 10 vehicles used for specimen transport. The court document says a risk analyst with Risk Investigative Services at Mayo Clinic told a police investigator that an employee, identified as 40-year-old Ryan Bradley Lott-Gardner, was suspected of stealing a large amount of money using Mayo Clinic credit cards.

Mayo Clinic Opened and Internal Investigation Earlier in the Year

According to the criminal complaint, the Austin man was assigned to manage the fleet credit cards and was responsible for vendor relationships and vehicle repairs. Police were told Lott-Gardner recommended a vendor and began using that business for vehicle repairs in June 2024. The charges say investigators determined the business did not exist and the account used to charge the Mayo Clinic credit cards was linked to Lott-Gardner.

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The court document says investigators identified 247 transactions charged to the account that totaled about $191,000.

Investigation Leads to Six Felony Theft Charges

The criminal complaint indicates investigators questioned Lott-Gardner, who was unable to provide contact information or documentation for the transactions. It also states a search of his emails revealed 91 invoices and receipts were sent to his email in May from his personal email account after Mayo Clinic began reviewing the credit card transactions.

Lott-Gardner is charged with six felony counts of theft by swindle. He was released without bail following his arraignment Friday.