Press Release
Tampa Man Sentenced To Six Years In Federal Prison For Stealing Identities From Medical Practice
For Immediate Release
U.S. Attorney's Office, Middle District of Florida
Tampa, Florida– U.S. District Judge James D. Whittemore has sentenced Anthony Michael Harris (26, Tampa) to six years in federal prison for conspiracy and aggravated identity theft. He pleaded guilty on November 29, 2016.
According to court documents, Harris worked as an administrative employee at a pediatric gastroenterology practice where he had access to patient medical records that contained the personally identifiable information (“PII”) of the practice’s patients, their parents, and their guardians. Harris conspired with his co-defendants, Larry Chance Cox and Maurice Rahmaan, to steal PII from his employer so that Cox, Rahmaan, and others could use that information to apply for credit cards online and file fraudulent federal income tax returns using the victims’ identities. The conspirators further agreed to share in the proceeds of the fraud.
Investigators recovered the PII of more than 13,000 individuals that had been stolen by Harris and used by the conspirators to apply for unauthorized credit cards. They also attempted to file approximately 180 fraudulent federal income tax returns.
On January 4, 2017, Cox pleaded guilty to conspiracy and aggravated identity theft. He is scheduled to be sentenced on April 3, 2017. Rahmaan pleaded guilty to the same charges on January 24, 2017, and his sentencing hearing is set for April 10, 2017.
This case was investigated by the Tampa Police Department, the Internal Revenue Service - Criminal Investigation, and the United States Postal Inspection Service. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Mandy Riedel.
Updated March 28, 2017
Topics
Financial Fraud
Identity Theft
StopFraud
Tax
Component