FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT
AUSA VICKIE E. LEDUC or
MARCIA MURPHY at 410-209-4885
September 30, 2010
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
FIVE DEFENDANTS INDICTED IN FRAUDULENT CREDIT CARD SCHEME USING INFORMATION STOLEN FROM JOHNS HOPKINS HOSPITAL PATIENT RECORDS
More than 50 Businesses and Individuals Allegedly Victimized
Baltimore, Maryland - A federal grand jury has indicted the following five Maryland defendants on fraud and aggravated identity theft charges in connection with a scheme to use stolen hospital patient identity information to open fraudulent credit accounts and make purchases on “instant credit” at retail stores in Maryland:
Michael Allen, age 34, of Baltimore,
Jasmine Amber Smith, age 25, of Nottingham,
Tyrell Douglas McCormick, age 22, of Baltimore,
Ayanna Devon Johnson, age 38, of Baltimore, and
Gloria Canada, age 54, of Baltimore.
The superseding indictment was returned on September 15, 2010 and unsealed today upon the arrest of the final defendant, Gloria Canada.
The indictment was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Rod J. Rosenstein; Special Agent in Charge Barbara Golden of the United States Secret Service – Baltimore Field Office; Postal Inspector in Charge Daniel S. Cortez of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service - Washington Division; and Chief James W. Johnson of the Baltimore County Police Department.
According to the 39 count superseding indictment, while employed by Johns Hopkins Hospital from August 2007 to March 2009, Smith is alleged to have improperly accessed the records of the hospital’s patients to obtain the personal identity information of patients and the parents and guardians of minor patients, including names, social security numbers, dates of birth and addresses. Smith allegedly provided the stolen identity information to Johnson and Canada. From May 2008 to June 2009, Allen and McCormick allegedly used the stolen information to apply for instant credit at stores located in Maryland and make purchases on “instant credit” before the fraudulently-obtained credit cards were received by the victims.
The indictment alleges that during the course of the scheme, the defendants fraudulently obtained over $600,000 in credit from over 50 institutional and individual victims.
The defendants face a maximum sentence of 30 years in prison for conspiracy to commit bank fraud and two years in prison consecutive to any other sentence for aggravated identity theft. In addition, McCormick and Allen face a maximum sentence of 30 years in prison for bank fraud and 15 years in prison for access device fraud. Canada is scheduled to have her initial appearance in U.S. District Court in Baltimore today at 2:00 p.m.
An indictment is not a finding of guilt. An individual charged by indictment is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty at some later criminal proceedings.
United States Attorney Rod J. Rosenstein commended the U.S. Secret Service – Baltimore Field Office, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service - Washington Division and the Baltimore County Police Department for their work in the investigation. Mr. Rosenstein thanked Assistant United States Attorneys Tamera Fine and James Warwick, who are prosecuting the case.