Two fraudsters pleaded guilty this week to federal charges in connection with a scheme that used stolen personal information, including that of thousands of hospital patients, to fraudulently obtain nearly $1 million in pandemic relief funds.
Wilkins Estrella, 40, of Hackensack, New Jersey, and Charlene Marte, 31, of the Bronx, New York, each pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Gregory H. Woods to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and bank fraud.
Estrella also pleaded guilty to a separate charge of wrongful disclosure of individually identifiable health information.
According to court documents and statements made in proceedings, between 2020 and 2022, the conspirators used the names, Social Security numbers, and other personally identifiable information of hundreds of victims to file fraudulent claims for COVID-19 stimulus checks, tax refunds, and unemployment insurance benefits.
The scheme attempted to obtain approximately $1.6 million from the Internal Revenue Service and the New York State Department of Labor, resulting in actual losses of nearly $1 million.
A significant source of the stolen data was a Bronx hospital where Estrella worked as a business clerk.
Federal prosecutors stated that Estrella accessed and stole the protected health information of at least 4,005 patients. He was terminated from his position in 2020 following an internal audit that uncovered the unauthorized access.
The defendants used the stolen identities to open hundreds of fraudulent debit card accounts and had the cards mailed to their own addresses and those of family members.
Estrella entered his plea on August 7, 2025, and is scheduled to be sentenced on December 1, 2025. Marte pleaded guilty on July 28, 2025, and is scheduled for sentencing on November 5, 2025.
The charge of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and bank fraud carries a maximum sentence of 30 years in prison. The wrongful disclosure of health information charge carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison. As part of their plea agreements, the defendants have agreed to joint restitution and forfeiture totaling $951,618.20.
U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton said, “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.”
The statutory maximum sentences are prescribed by Congress and are provided for informational purposes. The final sentences will be determined by the court.