Former Hospital Orderly Sentenced to Prison for Aggravated Identity Theft

LITTLE ROCK—Christopher R. Thyer, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas, Special Agent in Charge Diane Upchurch, of the Little Rock Field Office for the Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI), and Tracey D. Montaño, Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) Criminal Investigation Division announced today that United States District Judge Kristine G. Baker sentenced Sir John Ashley Holliday, 28, of Dallas, Texas, to two years in federal prison for aggravated identity theft and theft of government funds, and ordered him to pay $13,191 in restitution to the Internal Revenue Service. Holliday was also ordered to serve three years of supervised release.

Holliday was formerly employed as an orderly at the Arkansas State Hospital, a Little Rock psychiatric facility. At his change of plea hearing before Judge Baker on May 19, 2016, Holliday admitted that he stole patient names and social security numbers that he obtained during his employment at the State Hospital.

Holliday used the stolen information to file fraudulent federal income tax returns in the patients’ names which claimed refunds on wages never actually earned. Holliday then obtained refunds from the fraudulent returns in the form of debit cards totaling $13,191, which he later spent as his own.

Holliday pleaded guilty to aggravated identity theft and theft of government funds. The FBI, IRS–Criminal Investigation Division, and United States Secret Service investigated this matter. Assistant United States Attorney Alexander D. Morgan prosecuted the case for the United States.