Lawanda Jackson, a former employee at the UCLA Medical Center, has been indicted for looking into the files of well-known patients and allegedly selling the information to the media, according to reports from the Los Angeles Times.
A federal grand jury indicted the ex-administrative specialist on April 9 for using private medical information for commercial advantage. Documents that were unsealed show that Jackson had agreements with a media outlet to be paid in exchange for supplying medical information about celebrities.
The Times reported that the medical files of public figures and celebrities such as Britney Spears, Farrah Fawcett and California First Lady Maria Shriver may have been accessed by various medical center employees.
If found guilty, Jackson could be sentenced to up to 10 years in prison.
University officials released a statement about the indictment.
“We are deeply troubled that a former employee may have illegally received payments from a news organization in exchange for providing personal medical information,” said Dr. David T. Feinberg, chief executive officer and interim associate vice chancellor of the UCLA Hospital System.
Compiled by Edward Truong, Daily Bruin Senior Staff