Transient sentenced for theft of computers containing patient data from Alhambra hospital facility

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ALHAMBRA — A transient who sparked a security scare when he stole two laptop computers containing private patient information from a regional hospital chain was sentenced to prison Wednesday, officials said.
Christopher Lee Brown, 37, received a sentence of 4 years and 8 months from Judge Jared Moses in the Alhambra branch of Los Angeles County Superior Court, Los Angeles County District Attorney’s officials said in a written statement. He was convicted of second-degree burglary and one count of receiving stolen property March 6.
He broke into the AHMC Healthcare Inc. facility in Alhambra in mid-October, stealing two laptop computers and three flash drives, officials said.
As a result, 729,000 patients of Garfield Medical Center, Monterey Park Hospital, Whittier Hospital Medical Center, Greater El Monte Community Hospital, San Gabriel Valley Medical Center and Anaheim Regional Medical Center had their personal data jeopardized.
Those affected patients using Medicare, which amounted to about 10 percent of the affected patients, had their social security numbers potentially compromised, along with other medical and billing information.
Affected patients were notified and AHMC set up an informational hotline for concerned patients to call, officials said. No incidents of identity theft related to the computer theft were reported. The computers were not recovered.
Alhambra police investigators identified Brown as a suspect through surveillance camera footage and arrested him Oct. 23 at a homeless near the 710 Freeway and Valley Boulevard, according to Alhambra police Sgt. Jerry Johnson.

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