The United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency says special agents from the Department of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) have arrested a Jamaican woman for health care fraud, identity theft and unauthorised use of social security numbers.
Georgia Bowen, also known as Georgia Bennett, 38, who resides in Lackawanna near Buffalo in upstate New York, faces a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison and a US$250,000 fine if convicted.
Bowen claimed to be a US citizen and used a Social Security number assigned to another person, in January2011, Erie County terminated Bowen’s Medicaid eligibility.
During that time, Medicaid, a federal-state programme was billed for more than US$7,000 for medical services rendered to Bowen.
Previously, in August 2010, ICE said Bowen was sentenced in US federal court to two years in prison for identity theft. Based on that conviction, ICE initiated deportation proceedings against Bowen.
The proceedings are currently being litigated before an immigration court.
Source-CMC
