Broken Arrow woman pleads guilty to defrauding over $8 million from OSU Medical Center

TULSA, Okla. (KTUL) — The United States Department of Justice says a Broken Arrow woman who defrauded over $8 million from Oklahoma State University Medical Center pleaded guilty in federal court.

The woman, Leslie Ann Ameen, 62, appeared before US Magistrate Judge Mark T. Steel and pleaded guilty to wire fraud on Sept. 26.

“Ameen brazenly defrauded a state-funded institution without regard for the impact it might have on the medical needs of the community it serves and its related educational mission,” said U.S. Attorney Clinton Johnson. “The U.S. Attorney’s Office together with our law enforcement partners will continue to hold fraudsters and embezzlers accountable for their criminal conduct.”

Law enforcement officials say Ameen exploited a system funded by taxpayers.

“The defendant exploited a healthcare system funded by taxpayer dollars in order to line her own pockets,” said FBI Oklahoma City Special Agent in Charge Edward J. Gray. “The FBI and our law enforcement partners will continue to aggressively pursue those who seek to enrich themselves by diverting critical healthcare resources from where they are truly needed.”

The DOJ says Ameen admitted to devising and executing a defrauding scheme against OSUMC while employed as a Telecommunications Specialist.

She arranged for OSUMC to purchase electronic devices such as laptops, phones, and tablets from a telecommunications company, Techsico Enterprises Solutions, LLC.

Ameen said the plan was for the devices to be purchased and then she could fraudulently abscond them and sell them for profit.

To do this, Ameen had her telecommunications company email her invoices for the devices and falsely represented them as being acquired for OSUMC. Ameen forged the signature of her direct supervisor at OSUMC to do this.

This means OSUMC paid for the devices without their knowledge. After the devices were delivered, Ameen stole and sold them for personal profit.

This scheme resulted in the loss of about $8,293,611 from OSUMC.

Now, Ameen faces up to 20 years in federal prison and a fine of $250K, or twice the total gain/loss caused by her scheme.

Ameen also faces forfeiture of any and all property and proceeds received through her scheme.

A federal district court judge will determine the sentence at a date not yet specified.

The FBI conducted this investigation and US Attorney David D. Whipple is prosecuting the case.