EAST ST. LOUIS– U.S. Attorney Rachelle Aud Crowe announced today that Markeisha A. Hill, 35, of Granite City, was charged via a federal grand jury with two counts of access device fraud, six counts of aggravated identity theft and one count of possession of five or more identification documents.
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Hill, a certified nursing assistant formerly employed in the Metro East, is accused of using her elderly patients’ credit card and bank account information to make personal purchases without their consent.
Law enforcement officials with the U.S. Secret Service, Edwardsville Police Department, Glen Carbon Police Department and Granite City Police Department are contributing to the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Zoe Gross and David Dean are prosecuting the case.
“Financial crimes against the elderly are prevalent, but it’s especially disturbing when nursing home patients are targeted and victimized by the medical professionals who are entrusted with their care,” said U.S. Attorney Rachelle Aud Crowe.
Hill worked as a CNA at University Nursing and Rehabilitation in Edwardsville from October 2022 through June 2023 and Meridian Village in Glen Carbon from August through November 2023. According to the indictment, Hill is accused of stealing her patients’ identification to fraudulently use their debit and credit cards without their consent to make personal purchases greater than $1,000.
“Nursing home caregivers are called to the noble profession of watching over the loved ones of many families who expect their elderly family members to be treated with care. That trust should never be violated,” said David Bolin, Acting Supervisor for the U.S. Secret Service Springfield Resident Office. “I’m proud that our local and federal partners have stood up for the alleged victims in this case and we will maintain our vigilance in the future.”
If convicted, access device fraud is punishable by up to 15 years’ imprisonment, aggravated identity theft is a mandatory 2-year prison sentence and possession of five or more IDs can equate to five years’ imprisonment.
An indictment is merely a formal charge against a defendant. Under the law, a defendant is presumed to be innocent of a charge until proved guilty beyond a reasonable doubt to the satisfaction of a jury.
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