business
Hospital employee charged with identity theft
NEWS IN BRIEF — Posted Jan. 7, 2013
Louisiana State Police said they broke up an identity theft ring that operated in several states when they arrested a Louisiana State University Health Care Services employee in November 2012. It was later discovered that all the victims were LSU patients.
Pamela Reams, who worked in LSU’s billing department, admitted to stealing account information from patients and making scanned copies of checks, Louisiana State Police said in a statement issued in December 2012. Reams used the account numbers and stolen information to create counterfeit checks and ID cards, police said. Four others also were charged. None has entered a formal plea in court.
Police said they are working with other law enforcement agencies to investigate additional identity theft cases in numerous states stemming from the compromised records at LSU. Hospital officials are notifying more than 400 patients whose records were compromised, with total losses estimated to be at least $100,000.
