Two individuals have admitted guilt in a fraud scheme that involved the use of stolen personal data from hospital patients to obtain pandemic relief funds. The announcement was made by Jay Clayton, United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, along with Christopher G. Raia, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s New York Office, and Jonathan Mellone, Special Agent in Charge of the Northeast Region for the U.S. Department of Labor Office of Inspector General.
Wilkins Estrella and Charlene Marte pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Gregory H. Woods to conspiracy to commit wire fraud and bank fraud. They used social security numbers and other personally identifiable information belonging to hundreds of victims to open debit cards and attempt to obtain $1.6 million in relief funds from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and the New York State Department of Labor. The actual losses amounted to nearly $1 million.
Estrella, who previously worked as a clerk at a Bronx hospital, also pleaded guilty to wrongful disclosure of individually identifiable health information after accessing and stealing data from at least 4,005 hospital patients for use in the scheme. Estrella entered his plea on August 6, 2025, with sentencing set for December 1, 2025. Marte pleaded guilty on July 28, 2025; her sentencing is scheduled for November 5, 2025.
“Wilkins Estrella stole the personal data of thousands of people, including hospital patients, and used this data along with his partner Charlene Marte to claim money that was intended to assist struggling Americans during the pandemic,” said U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton. “Defrauding federal programs harms all New Yorkers and our Office is committed to stopping it.”
“Wilkins Estrella and Charlene Marte exploited thousands of patient records to steal almost one million dollars from various government programs,” said FBI Assistant Director in Charge Christopher G. Raia. “These defendants misused sensitive identifying information to perpetuate this illicit scheme and reap unlawful proceeds. The FBI remains committed to pursuing any individual who targets confidential medical information for personal enrichment.”
“Wilkins Estrella and Charlene Marte committed numerous frauds against multiple government agencies, including a scheme to defraud the New York State Department of Labor’s unemployment insurance program by misusing the stolen identities of individuals to falsely obtain benefits,” said DOL-OIG Special Agent in Charge Jonathan Mellone. “We will continue to work with our federal and state law enforcement partners to safeguard the integrity of U.S. Department of Labor programs.”
According to court documents and statements made during proceedings, between 2020 and 2022 Estrella and Marte used names, social security numbers, and other personally identifiable information from hundreds of people—obtained from sources including a Bronx hospital where Estrella had worked—to illegally secure nearly $1 million through COVID-19 stimulus checks, tax refunds from the IRS, and unemployment benefits from New York State’s Department of Labor.
The pair arranged for these funds—and others—to be loaded onto hundreds of debit cards opened under false names using stolen data; these cards were mailed both to their homes as well as those belonging to family members.
Estrella was terminated from his position at the Bronx hospital in 2020 after an internal audit revealed he had improperly accessed protected health information belonging to more than four thousand patients.
Both defendants face up to 30 years in prison for conspiracy charges; Estrella faces an additional maximum sentence of ten years for wrongful disclosure charges related specifically to health information privacy violations. They have agreed they are jointly responsible for forfeiture and restitution totaling $951,618.20 each.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jane Yumi Chong within the General Crimes Unit.
Mr. Clayton acknowledged investigative efforts by both FBI agents and DOL-OIG personnel as well as assistance provided by staff at the New York State Department of Labor.
