Hospital Employee Sentenced to 3 Years in Prison for Using Patient Information

Summary

A press release from the U.S. Attorney's Office, Southern District of California, dated July 21, 2023, announcing that Matthew George Lombardo was sentenced to 36 months in prison by U.S. District Judge Cathy Ann Bencivengo. It states that Lombardo, a Patient Service Representative at a hospital, accessed patient admission sheets and provided patient identifying information to a co-defendant for Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) claims to the California Employment Development Department (EDD). The release quotes text messages from August 15, 2020 and August 22, 2020 described in the government's sentencing memo. Lombardo pleaded guilty in September 2022. The summary of charges lists conspiracy to commit wire fraud under Title 18, U.S.C., Section 1349, aggravated identity theft under Section 1028A and an offense under Title 42, U.S.C., Section 1320d-6.

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PRESS RELEASE



Hospital Employee Sentenced to 3
Years in Prison for Using Patient
Information to Steal Pandemic
Unemployment Benefits
Friday, July 21, 2023

For Immediate Release
U.S. Attorney's Office, Southern District of California

NEWS RELEASE SUMMARY – July 21, 2023

SAN DIEGO – Matthew George Lombardo was sentenced in federal court to 36 months in
prison for using his position as a clerk at a local hospital to steal patient identifying
information and pass the information on to others in an attempt to steal Pandemic
Unemployment Assistance (PUA) benefits.

Lombardo pleaded guilty in September 2022. According to the government’s sentencing
memo, in August of 2020 Lombardo worked at a hospital as a Patient Service
Representative where he had access to patient admission sheets, which included patient
identifying information. Lombardo used that position to access that confidential patient
information and provide it to a co-defendant for use in submitting PUA claims to the
California Employment Development Department (EDD). Text messages between
Lombardo and his co-defendants show they were looking for the most vulnerable victims.
For example, on August 15, 2020, Lombardo texted a co-defendant “if you need social
security numbers or anything I can pull that shit up at work.” The government’s
sentencing memo further describes how Lombardo and his co-defendants deliberately
took advantage of people in their most vulnerable state. For example, on August 22, 2020,
Lombardo texted his co-defendant the name, date of birth, social security number, and
address of a patient and wrote, “this guy died a few hours ago, how many names do we
need?” The co-defendant texted back: “find me one who is still alive . . . someone 55 or
younger who is on their way out.”
In imposing a 36-month sentence U.S. District Judge Cathy Ann Bencivengo noted that
Lombardo was stealing public assistance benefits intended to help people during a
national emergency and said she found the text messages deliberately targeting hospital
patients to be “callous.”

"During a national healthcare emergency, Mr. Lombardo stole the
identities of hospital patients to defraud the government of funds
intended for people in crisis,” said U.S. Attorney Randy Grossman.
“This office and our law enforcement partners are dedicated to
pursuing such frauds and will hold the perpetrators accountable.”
Grossman thanked the prosecution team and investigating agencies
who diligently pursued this case.
“The DEA and its partners will continue to pursue justice for the citizens of San Diego,”
said DEA Special Agent in Charge Shelly Howe.

DEFENDANT                                   Case Number 21-CR-2154-
CAB

Matthew George Lombardo                      Age: 54        San Diego

SUMMARY OF CHARGES

Count 1:              Conspiracy to Commit Wire Fraud – Title 18, U.S.C., Section 1349

                       Maximum penalty: 20 years in prison

Counts 2 and 3:        Aggravated Identity Theft – Title 18, U.S.C., Section 1028A

                       Maximum penalty: 2 years in prison

Count 4:              Using Confidential Health Information for Personal Gain – Title 42,
U.S.C., Section 1320d-6

Maximum penalty: 10 years in prison

AGENCY

Drug Enforcement Administration
United States Postal Inspection Service

United States Department of Labor, Office of the Inspector General

California Employment Development Department Investigation Division

San Diego County Sheriff’s Department

Contact
Assistant U. S. Attorneys Alicia Williams (619) 546-8917 and Stephen H. Wong
(619) 546-9464

Updated July 21, 2023

Topic
IDENTITY THEFT


Component
USAO - California, Southern
Press Release Number: CAS23-0721-Lombardo


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