ER WORKER INDICTED FOR THEFT OF PATIENT’S IDENTITY

(HOUSTON) – A federal indictment has been returned against Nakeshia Brown, 29, of Rosenberg, Texas, for identity theft and bank fraud, acting United States Attorney Tim Johnson announced today.  

Brown was arrested Friday at her home by special agents of the United States Secret Service and is expected to appear before a U.S. Magistrate Judge today.

The indictment, returned on Thursday, April 30, 2009, alleges that while employed as a patient care assistant at Memorial Hermann Hospital in Houston, Brown used her position at the hospital to steal the personal identification information of patients and then used that information to apply for credit cards without the patients’ consent. Brown allegedly applied for a credit card on March 15, 2009, with Target National Bank using the identity of a patient who had died at the hospital on Feb. 26.

Brown is charged with one count of bank fraud and one count of aggravated identity theft. She faces up to 30 years in prison and a fine of up to $1 million if convicted of bank fraud and a consecutive sentence of 24 months in prison and a fine of up to $250,000 if convicted of aggravated identity theft.

This case was investigated by special agents of the United States Secret Service and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jay Hileman.

An indictment is a formal accusation of criminal conduct, not evidence. A defendants is presumed innocent unless convicted through due process of law.

 

 

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