There’s an update on an insider breach for tax refund fraud involving patient data from the Kirkbride Center in Pennsylvania. As noted in 2014, the data theft occurred in 2012 and 2013.
A federal jury sitting in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania returned a guilty verdict today against an Aldan, Pennsylvania, man on charges related to a tax fraud scheme, announced the Department of Justice.
Jean Baptiste Alvarez, aka Alex, 43, was found guilty of conspiracy to defraud the United States with respect to false claims, aggravated identity theft and misuse of social security numbers. U.S. District Court Judge Michael Baylson scheduled a sentencing hearing for July 26.
Alvarez faces a statutory mandatory minimum sentence of at least two years in prison with a maximum possible sentence of 24 years in prison, up to three years of supervised release, a possible fine and a $500 special assessment.
According to evidence presented at trial, Alvarez unlawfully provided to Peterson Rene, charged elsewhere, the personal identifying information (PII) of hundreds of real persons. Specifically, Alvarez sold Rene patient information labeled “census sheets” that were created by and kept in the normal course of business, at the Kirkbride Center health care facility where the defendant worked. These “census sheets” list PII of patients, including names, social security numbers and dates of birth. From 2012 through 2015, Alvarez and Rene conspired with others to use the stolen identifying information on tax returns for the purpose of obtaining payment of false, fictitious and fraudulent tax refunds.
The case was investigated by IRS-Criminal Investigation, the FBI and the Office of Inspector General-Social Security Administration. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Terri A. Marinari and Trial Attorney Ann M. Cherry of the Justice Department’s Tax Division.