By Alex Davidson
A physician’s bookkeeper was charged last Thursday in an identity fraud scheme where she allegedly took two patients’ confidential personal information and then stole more than $35,000, Queens District Attorney Richard Brown said.
Rudhranie Airjdath, 23, of 145-77 Farmers Blvd. in Jamaica, was charged with grand larceny, criminal possession of stolen property, criminal possession of a forged instrument, and forgery, the DA said. She faces a maximum of seven years in prison if convicted.
“The defendant is alleged to have used her insider access to improperly retrieve and use personal identity information of two patients to obtain debit and credit cards in their name and plunder their accounts for thousands of dollars,” Brown said in a statement. The Police Department’s Queens Transit Robbery Squad conducted the investigation.
Brown said between June 1 and Sept. 15, Airjdath allegedly photocopied the names, addresses, birth dates, Social Security numbers and checking account numbers of two patients, a 72-year-old woman and a 55-year-old woman, while she was processing their insurance co-payments. The alleged victims are residents of Manhattan.
Airjdath, who worked in the doctor’s Manhattan office, allegedly stole the personal information, then used it to order illegal credit and debit cards by telephone that she then had sent to her parents’ residence in Jamaica, investigators said.
She then allegedly used the card numbers to withdraw cash from different banks and ATMs in Jamaica and also allegedly bought jewelry, clothing, a cell phone and a large-screen television, worth more than $2,000, Brown said.
The NYPD began its investigation when the 72-year-old woman complained to police about a $32,000 overdraft on her credit card and other ATM withdrawals she claimed not to have made, Brown said.
Brown’ said the other victim, the 55-year-old, reported losses of $3,500.
The next hearing for Airjdath is scheduled Oct. 7, according to Brown’s spokesman.
Reach reporter Alex Davidson by e-mail at TimesLedger@aol.com, or by phone at 229-0300, Ext. 156.
