Little Rock - Christopher R. Thyer, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas, announced that Susan Elaine Boyce, age 58, of Pleasant Plains, Arkansas, was indicted September 6, 2012, by a federal grand jury. The seven-count indictment, which was unsealed today, charges Ms. Boyce with five counts of wire fraud, one count of aggravated identity theft, and one count of misuse of a social security number.

Ms. Boyce, who may also go by Suzanne Pitts or Suzanne Johnson, is presently at large. A warrant has been issued for her arrest. She is believed to be with a man using the name Jack Pitts or Jack Boyce, who may be armed. Anyone who has information about the whereabouts of Ms. Boyce or Mr. Pitts is asked to call the fugitive hotline for the Office of the Inspector General for the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services at (888) 476-4453.

According to the indictment, Ms. Boyce used Arkansas State Board of Nursing license numbers and a Social Security Number belonging to other persons to obtain employment as a school nurse at Sidney Deener Elementary School in Searcy, Arkansas. The indictment goes on to allege that, although not a licensed nurse, Ms. Boyce worked at Sidney Deener in this capacity from the 2007-08 school year through the 2011-12 school year, during which time she was paid more than $175,000.

Upon cashing her monthly paycheck, a digital image of Ms. Boyce’s check was sent from her bank to the school district bank in interstate commerce via the Federal Reserve Bank, which gives rise to the wire fraud counts. Aggravated identity theft and misuse of a social security number charges relate to Ms. Boyce using a social security number assigned to another person on Form W-4 tax withholding documents that she submitted to the school district.

Wire fraud carries a maximum statutory penalty of twenty years’ imprisonment and up to three years’ supervised release for each count. Aggravated identity theft adds a mandatory two-year prison sentence to any other sentence imposed and one year of supervised release. And misuse of a social security number carries a maximum statutory penalty of five years’ imprisonment and one year of supervised release. Each count carries a maximum fine of $250,000.

This case is being investigated by HHS-OIG and by the Office of the Inspector General for the Social Security Administration. Assistant United States Attorney Alexander Morgan is prosecuting the case for the United States.

An indictment contains only allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

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