Nurse accused of stealing more than $550k from New York hospital

A nurse in New York City faces felony charges for allegedly stealing more than $550,000 from Interfaith Medical Center, a nonprofit hospital in Brooklyn, and defrauding Medicaid of more than $30,000, according to Acting New York Attorney General Barbara D. Underwood.

According to the attorney general's office, Keisha Demas, RN, collected more than $550,000 from 2013 through 2016 through a "no-show" job at Interfaith. Interfaith contracted with Ms. Demas through an outside nursing agency, and she allegedly conspired with a former hospital employee to falsify timesheets to make it appear she was working when she was not. Ms. Demas allegedly paid kickbacks to the hospital employee who assisted her in the scheme.

Although Ms. Demas' income was more than $100,000 in each year of the scheme, she did not file personal income taxes in New York, resulting in a nearly $40,000 underpayment in taxes.

Ms. Demas also allegedly claimed she had no income in 2014 and 2015 to obtain more than $30,000 in Medicaid benefits.

Ms. Demas faces several felony charges, including grand larceny, forgery and tax fraud. If convicted she faces five to 15 years in prison.

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