Three people were arrested on a criminal complaint alleging they filed false tax returns with the IRS, totaling over $1.5 million.
According to federal court documents, Carlista Hawls and Tanya Cullins, both of Brandon, prepared false tax returns using patient information from University Community Hospital in Tampa.
Investigators say Tanya Cullins was an employee at UCH, now Florida Hospital, when she had access to patient information. She allegedly printed the information from a financial counselor's computer. It is unclear what Cullins' job entailed at the hospital.
"She and her co-conspirators filed refunds in excess of $1.5 million of which she and her co-conspirators received more than a half million dollars," said IRS Special Agent Casimir Tyska.
Florida Hospital, formerly UCH, released this statement: "We recently learned that personal information relating to 45 of our patients had been compromised in January 2012. These patients have been notified and we are fully cooperating with investigating agencies. We deeply regret that this incident occurred."
The IRS caught wind of the alleged scam when several returns came back with similar email and IP addresses. A confidential informant who admits to having a hand in the fraud helped the IRS crack the case, according to investigators.
Cullins and Hawls are out on bond.
The other defendant, Kenyon Williams, lives in San Diego. Authorities say he received patient information from the Naval Hospital in that city.