As someone who’s had their cellphone stolen, I can attest to the fact that it really sucks. Right after I realized that the theft had taken place, I immediately began my pleas to the cosmos. “Can this low-down human stain please trip, fall, and break his nose? Pretty please?”

“Can he get herpes? That’s all that I ask.”

I’m sure I had plenty of other ill wishes for the thief. But I’m pretty sure I never hoped that he would contract Ebola.

Apparently that’s just what happened to one cellphone snatcher in Uganda. The country, which is the midst of an outbreak of the virus, has confirmed nearly two dozen cases so far, with a pretty high death rate. And one of the deceased victims had their phone stolen from the isolation ward at the Kagadi Hospital a couple of weeks ago.

According to the Ugandan Daily Monitor, a 40-year-old man snuck into the ward on August 14th under the guise that he was comforting the many patients. Although he reportedly did comfort some victims, he also took a souvenir on his way out.

Police began tracking the criminal when he began to use the phone to contact friends, but all of the tracking wasn’t really necessary. Soon, the thief was admitted to the hospital with Ebola-like symptoms.

According to police, he handed over the phone and confessed to the theft. He is currently undergoing tests and receiving medication.

Moral of the story: An Ebola ward is no place to go searching for an easy steal. If this isn’t a prime example of karma, I don’t know what is.

[via TIME]