Brian Bandell reports:
Federal authorities charged eight people with identity theft for filing fraudulent federal tax refunds in five separate cases, including that of a former Boca Raton Regional Hospital scheduler.
Shalamar Major had access to the personal information of the hospital’s patients and gave it to Tanisha Wright in exchange for the promise of future payments, according to a federal indictment against both of them. Wright allegedly used that information to file 57 fraudulent tax returns seeking $306,720 in refunds. She received the money on debit cards and split the proceeds with Major, according to the charges.
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According to the indictment, Major began disclosing “numerous” patients’ names, dates of birth, and Social Security numbers to Wright in January 2012 and continued to do so through at least June 27, 2012. They were indicted on January 24, 2013, and Major was arrested on January 31.