MIAMI, FL – In a shocking case of identity theft, a Pompano Beach woman and her wife were sentenced to prison for using patient information to acquire distressed real estate. Samantha Johnson, 57, and Sandra Shea, 56, were handed down 30 and 24 months’ imprisonment, respectively, by the Honorable United States District Court Judge Roy K. Altman.
The two defendants must serve a term of supervised release of 3 years and pay a fine of $10,000. A restitution hearing is set for June 15, 2022. This hearing will determine how much the defendants must pay back to the victims of their scheme.
Johnson and Shea pleaded guilty to one count of conspiring to defraud the United States in January. They admitted to conspiring to obtain and utilize patient information from a large local healthcare provider in Hollywood, Florida, where Shea was employed. According to court documents, Shea improperly accessed 22 patient files from the healthcare provider.
The defendants intended to use the personal information of these patients to acquire distressed, abandoned, foreclosed, and probated real property. This scheme was uncovered by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and the Broward County Sheriff’s Office, with assistance from the Broward County Property Appraisers Office.
The case against Johnson and Shea was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Thomas P. Lanigan and Matthew J. Feeley. This case is a stark reminder of the importance of protecting patient information and the consequences of identity theft.
Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov, under case number 21-cr-60184.
Related Federal Cases
- Two Foreign Nationals, ID Theft Scheme, Los Angeles CA, 2023 · Idaho
- HHS-OIG Report Reveals Persistent Patient Harm, Washington D.C, 2010 · Florida
- John F. Rivers, Car Theft Scheme, New York, 2023 · New York
- Naomi Ruth Smith, Child Sex Trafficking, M.D. Florida, 2023 · Massachusetts
- Duval County Public Schools, Employment Discrimination, Florida, 2023 · Alabama
Key Facts
- State: Florida
- Category: Fraud & Financial Crimes
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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