Former Employee of Presbyterian Health Care Services Indicted for Mail Fraud, Health Care Fraud, and Identity Theft
| U.S. Attorney’s Office April 15, 2010 |
A federal grand jury in Albuquerque has indicted a former employee of Presbyterian Health Care Services (PHS), for allegedly misusing the PHS pharmacy database to obtain funds by generating fraudulent prescription reimbursement checks. Christine Horning, 34, is charged with causing fraudulent checks to be mailed to various individuals of her own choosing, who then cashed the checks and provided the funds to Horning. It is alleged that as a result of this fraudulent scheme, the approximate loss to New Mexico’s Medicaid Salud Program, Presbyterian Insurance Company, and Presbyterian Employees Plan was more than $24,000. Ms. Horning is charged with 26 federal felonies: 15 counts of mail fraud, three counts of health care fraud, and eight counts of identity theft.
An indictment is merely an accusation. All criminal defendants are presumed to be innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
The investigation was conducted by special agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and is being prosecuted by United States Attorney’s Office in Albuquerque, New Mexico.