Woman Blamed For ID Theft Scams In Texas, Nevada, Florida

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DALLAS (CBSDFW.COM/AP) - Prosecutors say a Mesquite woman has been convicted in a Texas, Nevada and Florida medical records identity theft scam with more than 1,500 victims.

A federal jury convicted Deborah Petty of aggravated identity theft and seven counts of identity theft.

Investigators say Petty in 2011 and 2012 worked at a brain and spinal surgery center in Las Vegas and stole hundreds of patient files before being terminated. Prosecutors say the information stolen by the 48-year-old was used for food stamp fraud in Florida.

Petty moved to Texas, worked at another medical center, Epic Healthcare Services, and had access to patient information that included patients' names, dates of birth, and social security numbers. In 2014, police in Mesquite recovered information indicating Petty had stolen some 1,500 identities from company records.

Sentencing is pending for Petty, who faces more than 100 years in prison.

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