A federal judge has ruled that a man accused of stealing patient data from Danville, Pa.-based Geisinger can represent himself in court.
Max Vance has been charged with downloading the protected health information of 1.2 million Geisinger patients onto his laptop in 2023, accessing the system using the credentials of his former employer, Microsoft’s Nuance.
“Mr. Vance asserted his desire to proceed pro se clearly and unequivocally, understood the nature of the charges against him and potential risks and challenges associated with relinquishing the right to an attorney, and was competent to stand trial,” Matthew Brann, chief U.S. district judge for the Middle District of Pennsylvania, wrote in a June 16 order.
Mr. Vance filed an emergency motion June 17 to be released from the county jail.
Multiple federal lawsuits filed against Geisinger and Nuance over the incident have been consolidated.
