Jury: Clinic worker stole patient data for tax scheme

A technician at a West Philadelphia mental health clinic stole patient information and sold it to scammers filing fake tax returns, a federal jury concluded Thursday as it convicted the man on conspiracy, fraud, and identity-theft charges.

Jean Baptiste Alvarez, 43, of Aldan, faces a mandatory minimum sentence of two years in prison at a sentencing hearing scheduled for July.

According to prosecutors, Alvarez smuggled patient log-in sheets under his clothing as he left work each night at the Kirkbride Center, a 245-bed inpatient facility just outside University City. The sheets, which included information such as patient names and Social Security numbers, netted Alvarez $1,000 a page.

Witnesses testified at the three-day trial that the scammers - Peterson Rene and Marc Celestin - used the information Alvarez stole between January 2012 and May 2015 to file at least 49 false tax returns.

Alvarez first came to the attention of federal agents with the FBI and the IRS after they confronted Celestin and Rene, and the latter went on to record several of his interactions with the mental health worker.

In one recording, Alvarez also offered to sell identity information for 50 children who attended a day care run by his sister-in-law. He later sold a copy of a Social Security card for one child to Rene for $1,000.

Alvarez was fired from the Kirkbride Center at the time of his arrest in July. Officials at the center did not return calls for comment Thursday.

Rene testified against Alvarez at trial and was charged last week. Celestin, who filed the fake tax returns, pleaded guilty to fraud and other charges in July 2014 and awaits sentencing in June.

Alvarez's attorney, Michael N. Huff, did not respond to a request for comment Thursday.

jroebuck@phillynews.com

215-854-2608 @jeremyrroebuck