He had access to patient’s records and used their info to open credit cards. Now he’s headed to prison

A former medical administrative employee was sentenced to six years in federal prison for identity theft.

Anthony M. Harris, 26, of Tampa, pleaded guilty to charges of conspiracy and aggravated identity theft on Nov. 29, according to the office of Acting U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of Florida, W. Stephen Muldrow.

Harris, an administrative employee at a pediatric gastroenterology practice, had access to patient medical records with personally identifiable information, according to Muldrow’s office.

Investigators with the Tampa Police Department, the Internal Revenue Service and U.S. Postal Inspection Service recovered the personally identifiable information of more than 13,000 people that was used to apply for credit cards. The men also attempted to file approximately 180 fraudulent federal income tax returns. according to Muldrow’s office.

Harris conspired with his co-defendants, Larry Chance Cox and Maurice Rahmaan, to steal the information so the three men could use the identities to apply for credit cards and file fraudulent income tax returns, according to the release. The co-defendants were going to share the profits.

Cox pleaded guilty to conspiracy and aggravated identity theft on Jan. 4, and is scheduled to be sentenced on April 3.

Rahmaan pleaded guilty to the same charges on Jan. 24, and his sentencing hearing is set for April 10.

This story was originally published March 28, 2017 at 6:35 PM with the headline "He had access to patient’s records and used their info to open credit cards. Now he’s headed to prison."