JACKSON, TN – A former director at West Tennessee Healthcare is headed to federal prison after a scheme to siphon off over $355,000 from the organization was exposed. Melanie Haste, 62, formerly of Trenton, Tennessee, received an 18-month sentence today, following a guilty plea earlier this year.
The fraud unfolded over eight years, from 2012 to 2020, while Haste served as Director of Risk Management at both West Tennessee Healthcare and Jackson-Madison County Hospital. Prosecutors detailed how Haste systematically stole funds, diverting them to cover personal expenses, lavish vacations, and gifts to family members. The scheme remained undetected until May 2020, when a brazen attempt to deposit a check for over $146,000—made payable to the hospital—into her personal account raised red flags.
Alert bank personnel immediately froze Haste’s account and notified West Tennessee Healthcare, triggering an internal investigation that quickly escalated. A deeper dive revealed the $146,000 check was just the tip of the iceberg. Investigators discovered Haste had been pilfering from the hospital for three years prior, starting in 2017, accumulating a total loss of $355,000. The Secret Service and the Jackson Police Department’s Financial Crimes Unit led the investigation.
Haste pled guilty in January 2022 to one count of wire fraud. U.S. District Judge J. Daniel Breen didn’t mince words at sentencing, stating Haste had “abused the trust of her employer” and that the severity of the offense demanded imprisonment. Beyond the 18-month prison term, Haste faces two years of supervised release and a $100 special assessment. The judge also ordered her to pay $209,181.47 in restitution to West Tennessee Healthcare.
Federal sentences do not include parole. Assistant U.S. Attorney Matt Wilson prosecuted the case. The brazenness of the scheme – a director using her position to enrich herself at the expense of a vital community healthcare provider – highlights a growing trend of internal fraud impacting institutions across the country. The Secret Service continues to prioritize investigations into these types of financial crimes.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Tennessee emphasized the importance of vigilance in safeguarding organizational assets and reporting suspicious activity. This case serves as a stark reminder that even those in positions of trust are not immune to prosecution when they break the law. Haste will be remanded to the custody of the Federal Bureau of Prisons to begin serving her sentence.
Related Federal Cases
- Robert J. Berryhill, $300k Mail and Wire Fraud, OH, 2023 · Tennessee
- Stanley P. Phillips Sentenced to Nine Years for Wire Fraud, Dothan … · Tennessee
- Scott Rolin, Wire Fraud, Franklin TN, 2011 · Tennessee
- Charlotte McEwen, Pleads Guilty to $466K Wire Fraud, Nashville TN, … · Kansas
- LaShane Hayes, Conspiracy and Wire Fraud, TN 2024 · Kansas
Key Facts
- Agency: U.S. Secret Service
- Category: Fraud & Financial Crimes
- Source: Official Press Release
Get the grimiest stories delivered weekly. Subscribe free
Browse More
