AUSA VICKIE E. LEDUC at 410-209-4885

January 16, 2007

LEADER IN BONUS REFERRAL FRAUD SCHEME AT UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND MEDICAL CENTER PLEADS GUILTY TO THEFT

Received Over $317,000 in Phony Referral Bonuses

BALTIMORE, Maryland - Paula Anderson, age 39, of Baltimore, pleaded guilty today to theft in connection with her leadership role in a scheme to defraud the University of Maryland Medical Center’s Employee Referral Program, announced United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Rod J. Rosenstein.

The University of Maryland Medical Center (UMMC) had a program whereby bonuses were paid to current employees for each new employee they recruited and referred. Human resource personnel were excluded from eligibility for the recruitment bonuses. According to the plea agreement presented to the court, Anderson was an administrative assistant in the Human Resources Department at UMMS and thus, ineligible to receive referral bonuses. Beginning in 2003, Anderson asked other employees if she could use their names as referrals for new employees unknown to them in order to receive referral bonuses. Anderson usually received one-half to two-thirds of the bonuses for those referrals, for a total of $317,811.08.

Other UMMC employees who have pleaded guilty to engaging in the fraud scheme include: Samantha White, age 33; Candice DeShields, age 26; Terre Barrett, age 34; Keith Dickerson, age 23; Lisa Guerrero, age 35; Michael Venable, age 31, all of Baltimore; Sandra Lowery, age 41, of Laurel, Maryland; and Kimberly Love, age 27, of Capitol Heights, Maryland . Anderson admits in her plea agreement that she used their names as referrals and divided the $317,811 in fraudulently obtained bonuses with them.

Anderson faces a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison followed by three years of supervised release and a $250,000 fine. U.S. District Judge Richard D. Bennett scheduled sentencing on April 5, 2007 at 2:00 p.m.

United States Attorney Rod J. Rosenstein praised the investigative work performed by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and thanked the University of Maryland Medical System for their assistance. Mr. Rosenstein thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Bonnie S. Greenberg and Sandra Wilkinson, who are prosecuting the case.