Four Florida women indicted in theft of cancer patients’ information

Jeffrey H. Sloman, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, and Michael Fithen, Special Agent in Charge, United States Secret Service, announced the unsealing of a nine count indictment charging defendants Sharita Hubbard, 31, Onakia Griffin, 31, Lakenya Knight, 33, all of Pompano Beach, Florida, and Cherralyn Milton-Browner, 37, for their alleged participation in a scheme to steal personal information of patients at medical clinics and to use the patients’ stolen information to obtain fraudulent credit accounts.

According to the indictment, Sharita Hubbard was employed at various times by University MRI Diagnostic Center, Holy Cross Hospital, North Ridge Medical Center, and Oncology and Hematology Associates of West Broward in the medical records department. In the course of her duties at each medical records department, Hubbard was authorized to access patient files and copy patient face sheets.

The indictment alleges that from October 2008 through February 10, 2010, the defendants conspired to unjustly enrich themselves by having Hubbard steal personal information of patients of University MRI Diagnostic Center, Holy Cross Hospital, North Ridge Medical Center, and Oncology and Hematology Associates of West Broward, including, among other information, the patients’ names, dates of birth, Social Security numbers, Medicare numbers, and addresses, and then use the patients’ stolen information to obtain Care Credit accounts and Chevron Visa credit cards. In this manner, the defendants applied for and obtained credit cards in the patients’ names, and defrauded the victims of approximately $162,000.

The indictment charges the individual defendants with conspiracy to commit wire, identity theft, and credit card fraud, substantive wire fraud, credit card fraud, and aggravated identity theft. If convicted, the defendants face a maximum term of imprisonment of 5 years on the conspiracy charge, 20 years on each charge of wire fraud, 10 years on the credit card fraud charge, and a mandatory consecutive 2 years on each charge of aggravated identity theft.

Source: U.S. Attorney’s Office

Related: Indictment (pdf)

CBS News reports that Holy Cross Hospital issued the following statement concerning Hubbard:

This individual was an employee of the North Ridge Medical Center until April 2008 when Holy Cross Hospital purchased the facility. Her employment with Holy Cross lasted two months following that transaction but she provided no services at Holy Cross. Holy Cross is committed to the care and safety of its patients and their information and has appropriate security systems in place. We have been fully cooperating with authorities in this case.