CITY WOMAN PLEADS GUILTY TO HIPPA VIOLATION FOR DISCLOSING PATIENT INFORMATION USED TO COMMIT IDENTITY THEFT
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma - John C. Richter, United States Attorney for the Western District of Oklahoma, announced today that LESLIE A. HOWELL, 30, of Oklahoma City, pled guilty today to violating the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA). As part of her plea, Howell admitted that in the summer of 2007, while she was employed by a counseling center in Oklahoma City, she knowingly allowed two individuals to take patient files from her place of employment which contained individually identifiable health information with the intent to obtain personal gain.
(Media-Newswire.com) - Oklahoma City, Oklahoma - John C. Richter, United States Attorney for the Western District of Oklahoma, announced today that LESLIE A. HOWELL, 30, of Oklahoma City, pled guilty today to violating the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 ( HIPAA ). As part of her plea, Howell admitted that in the summer of 2007, while she was employed by a counseling center in Oklahoma City, she knowingly allowed two individuals to take patient files from her place of employment which contained individually identifiable health information with the intent to obtain personal gain.
“Congress wrote the HIPPA laws to protect the personal information that patients must give health care providers from falling into the hands of those who want to use it for their own gain,” said U.S. Attorney John C. Richter. “This case illustrates how easily an illegal disclosure of patient files can be used by others to commit identity theft causing financial trauma to many victims.”
Howell was employed at a counseling center and from June to August in 2007 she allowed patient files to be obtained by Ryan Jay Meckenstock and Nicole Lanae Stevenson, both of Oklahoma City. In October of 2007, Meckenstock and Stevenson each pled guilty in federal court to fraudulently obtaining credit cards and aggravated identity theft. Meckenstock and Stevenson used names, social security numbers, and other identifying information contained the medical files obtained from Howell as well as from stolen/discarded mail, internet searches, credit reports, and car burglaries, to produce counterfeit identification documents ( IDs ). These counterfeit IDs were used to obtain merchandise and credit from various merchants. Meckenstock and Stevenson were in possession of approximately 150 counterfeit drivers’ licenses and 68 counterfeit social security cards. Meckenstock was sentenced to serve 119 months in federal prison. Stevenson was sentenced to serve 168 months in federal prison. Each defendant was ordered to pay $101,896.39 in restitution to their victims.
At sentencing, Howell faces up to ten years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000. A sentencing hearing will be set in approximately 90 days.
The case is the result of an investigation conducted by the United States Secret Service, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Office of Inspector General for the United States Department of Health and Human Services. The case is being prosecuted by prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Tim Ogilvie.
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