Atlanta Hospital Worker Pleads Guilty To Stealing $1.7 Million In Medical Supplies

BOSTON – A former employee of an Atlanta-based hospital pleaded guilty yesterday to conspiring to sell stolen medical supplies valued at more than $1.7 million.

Felicia Duggan, 41, of Georgia, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Mark L. Wolf to conspiracy to commit the offense of interstate transportation of stolen goods and two counts of subscribing to a false tax return.

Over a two-year period, Duggan stole numerous medical supplies and devices from a supply room of an Atlanta-based hospital where she was formerly employed. Beginning in March 2008, Duggan conspired with others to sell those stolen medical supplies on the black market. The conspiracy originated in Boston and subsequently moved to Atlanta. Several people in the Boston and Atlanta areas have been charged as part of this investigation into the black market for stolen hospital medical supplies and devices.

The statutory maximum penalty is five years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a fine of $250,000 or twice the gross gain or loss on the charge of conspiracy and $250,000 on the charges of subscribing false tax returns.

United States Attorney Carmen M. Ortiz; Mark Dragonetti, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Office of Criminal Investigations in New England; Kevin Niland, Inspector in Charge of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service; and William P. Offord, Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service’s Criminal Investigation in Boston, made the announcement.

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Amanda P. M. Strachan of Ortiz’s Health Care Fraud Unit.