Guilty plea in UCLA medical records snooping case

Consider this a bookend to the long investigation of medical records illegally viewed at UCLA Medical Center, including those of celebrities. From the Associated Press:

A former UCLA hospital employee says she is guilty of selling the private medical information of celebrities and other high-profile cases to the National Enquirer. Lawanda Jackson, 49, entered the plea in U.S. District Court Monday in Los Angeles. She is charged with violating federal medical privacy law, a felony. Jackson’s plea agreement was filed Nov. 6. Jackson pleaded guilty to selling records from 2006 on. Under an agreement with the National Enquirer, the tabloid deposited checks totaling at least $4,600 into her husband’s checking account. Sentencing is set for May 11, 2009. The maximum penalty is 10 years in prison, followed by three years of supervised release, and a $250,000 fine.

-- Shelby Grad

Comments

[alexh]

Nice scoop, LAT. Sad to see Charles Ornstein leave, but I guess he won't be missed much if the AP keeps it up. To bad ProPublica doesn't do breaking news...

[LA Woman]

This sure is telling. The LAT broke all the stories on this and now, at the end, they're picking up wire copy about a crucial part of the saga. What a proud moment ... Take a bow, Zell.