Contact 6: Woman convicted of identity theft from ER patients

Woman convicted of identity theft from ER patients

Woman convicted of identity theft from ER patients

MILWAUKEE -- Identity thieves are lurking in unexpected places, and FOX6's Contact 6 discovered one secret hiding spot and why the victims couldn't protect themselves.

In the emergency room, one thought likely not going through patients' heads is worrying about someone stealing their identity.

Asia Tompkins was a hospital registry clerk. After she registered patients into the hospital, she stole their personal information.

"When people came into the ER or off an ambulance, her job was to take their information and load it into a computer. She applied for more than 130 credit cards in other individuals' names," U.S. Postal Inspector Michael Romano said.

Postal inspectors got several leads from her own Facebook page. Under Tompkins' likes were: shopping, shopping, shopping and getting money.

"After she made purchases the Inspection Services was able to track down those purchases. We had her on video surveillance making the purchases, and then a search warrant was issued to her home," Romano said.

They found high-end clothing, jackets, boots, cash and a log of personal information.

"The loss was $50,000. The impact was extremely significant with 130 victims compromised," Romano said.

Postal inspectors worked with victims to monitor their credit. Most said they were stunned where it happened.

"It's a situation where people came into the hospital expecting services and not expecting to have their identity breached," Romano said.

Tompkins accepted a plea deal for identity theft and bank fraud charges. She is serving a three-year sentence in a federal prison.