TAMPA, Fla. — Employees at two Florida hospitals have been accused of stealing patients’ identities in tax fraud schemes.
Federal prosecutors said David Lewis, an employee at the James A. Haley VA Medical Center, stole the names and Social Security numbers of dozens of hospital patients and sold the information to individuals seeking to file fraudulent tax returns to get refunds. Lewis sold the information in exchange for crack cocaine, Tampa Bay Times reports.
Lewis, who had pleaded not guilty to 12 charges, including aggravated identity and wrongful disclosure of health information, made $105,271 from the scheme.
Conversely, A former clerk in Tampa General Hospital’s records department, Tigi Moore, was indicted for taking the names and Social Security numbers of nine patients to file false income tax returns and collect the refunds.
Moore, who worked at the hospital since 1998, gave the information to two men as part of a wider scheme that made more than $671,000. She was indicted on conspiracy, wire fraud, theft of government property charges and nine counts of wrongful disclosure of health information. If convicted from wrongful disclosure of health information, Moore could serve up to 10 years in prison.
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