Home

  • Home
    • » e-Newsletters

Man stole cancer patient IDs for home improvement

Healthcare Security Weekly, June 8, 2004

A man reportedly stole $6,000 from cancer patients at a New Haven hospital to purchase home improvement merchandise, police told the New Britain Herald last week.

Joseph Watkins, 44, of 230 Butler St. in Hamden, CT, faces charges of four counts of third-degree identity theft, two counts of third-degree larceny, one count of making a false statement, and one of credit card fraud for purchases.

Watkins allegedly visited Lowe's four times between December 2000 and early 2003 and took out instant credit accounts using the identities of patients at Yale-New Haven Hospital, said Police Sgt. Gary Blake.

Police believe Watkins stole the four patients' identities from his wife who worked at the hospital. Investigators determined Watkins' identity through security camera images, Blake said.

After police released a warrant for Watkins arrest he reportedly went into hiding. Police later found and arrested Watkins. He is being held on a $328,500 bond in New Haven Correctional Center.


Most Popular