Illinois Women Indicted for Committing Mail Fraud and Identity Theft

 

Stephen R. Wigginton, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Illinois, announced today that, Ashley C. Drummond, 27, of Belleville, Illinois, and Susan L. Harris, 27, of Fairview Heights, Illinois, were indicted on July 19, 2012, by a Grand Jury in the United States District Court for the Southern District of Illinois, East St. Louis Division. The three count indictment charges both women with Conspiracy to Commit Mail Fraud and Aggravated Identity Theft.

The indictment alleges that in November, 2011, Drummond was working in the radiology department of a Southern Illinois hospital. Drummond allegedly targeted elderly hospital patients, stealing their personal information from hospital charts and computer records. Because Drummond did not have access to the computer records herself, she would wait for other hospital employees to walk away from their computers then would sit down and look up additional patient information, according to the Indictment. Drummond then, with the help of Harris, allegedly applied for credit cards in the patients’ names. At least one of the credit cards was applied for using Harris’ home address, e-mail address and telephone number as the contact information. Drummond and Harris used the fraudulent credit cards to make purchases for themselves, the Indictment alleges.

Conspiracy to Commit Mail Fraud is punishable by up to 20 years of imprisonment, a fine of up to $250,000, or both; a term of supervised release of up to 3 years, and a $100 special assessment. Aggravated Identity Theft is punishable by a mandatory 2 year term of imprisonment consecutive to any other sentence imposed, up to 1 year of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment.

This case was investigated by the United States Postal Inspection Service, the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation Division, the Social Security Administration Office of the Inspector General, and the Southern District of Illinois Identity Theft Task Force. The case is being prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney Katherine L. Lewis.

An indictment is a formal charge against a defendant. Under the law, that charge is merely an accusation and the defendant is presumed innocent unless proven guilty. 

Stephen R. Wigginton, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Illinois, announced today that, Ashley C. Drummond, 27, of Belleville, Illinois, and Susan L. Harris, 27, of Fairview Heights, Illinois, were indicted on July 19, 2012, by a Grand Jury in the United States District Court for the Southern District of Illinois, East St. Louis Division. The three count indictment charges both women with Conspiracy to Commit Mail Fraud and Aggravated Identity Theft.

The indictment alleges that in November, 2011, Drummond was working in the radiology department of a Southern Illinois hospital. Drummond allegedly targeted elderly hospital patients, stealing their personal information from hospital charts and computer records. Because Drummond did not have access to the computer records herself, she would wait for other hospital employees to walk away from their computers then would sit down and look up additional patient information, according to the Indictment. Drummond then, with the help of Harris, allegedly applied for credit cards in the patients’ names. At least one of the credit cards was applied for using Harris’ home address, e-mail address and telephone number as the contact information. Drummond and Harris used the fraudulent credit cards to make purchases for themselves, the Indictment alleges.

Conspiracy to Commit Mail Fraud is punishable by up to 20 years of imprisonment, a fine of up to $250,000, or both; a term of supervised release of up to 3 years, and a $100 special assessment. Aggravated Identity Theft is punishable by a mandatory 2 year term of imprisonment consecutive to any other sentence imposed, up to 1 year of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment.

This case was investigated by the United States Postal Inspection Service, the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation Division, the Social Security Administration Office of the Inspector General, and the Southern District of Illinois Identity Theft Task Force. The case is being prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney Katherine L. Lewis.

An indictment is a formal charge against a defendant. Under the law, that charge is merely an accusation and the defendant is presumed innocent unless proven guilty.