DA: Great Neck Doctor Stole Patient Information

A Great Neck radiologist stole the protected personal and health information – including medical records – of nearly 100,000 patients, authorities said.

James Kessler, 38, was arrested Wednesday and accused of improperly accessing, duplicating and processing information belonging to the patients of his employer, NRAD Medical Associates, the Nassau County District Attorney’s office said.

NRAD has multiple locations in Nassau and Queens.

Both the DA’s office and Nassau County Police collaborated in the investigation, authorities said.

Kessler was charged with unauthorized use of a computer, second-degree unlawful duplication of computer related material, and petit larceny.

“Physicians are regularly entrusted with the health and well-being of their patients, so the abuse of trust in this case is particularly outrageous,” District Attorney Kathleen Rice said.

“He’s going to enter a plea of not guilty,” John Kase, an attorney representing Kessler, told Newsday. “We plan to defend the charges.”

The DA’s office said the breach occurred between about Jan. 17 and April 24.

NRAD discovered the breach in April, and informed the U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services. In June, NRAD sent notification letters to those patients affected, according to the DA’s office.

Investigators discovered that in April Kessler connected an external hard drive to his assigned NRAD computer and copied the patient information onto it from the NRAD network, the DA’s office said.

A search warrant uncovered Kessler’s hard drive containing the patient records, as well as NRAD patient billing system dates, corporate credit card information, corporate marketing materials and IT information, the DA’s office said.

The records did not contain patients’ financial information. Authorities said there is no indication that Kessler used the information to open accounts, make purchases, or obtain property in the names of NRAD patients. Still, the patients were given the opportunity by NRAD to protect their credit, the DA’s office said.

Kessler is scheduled for arraignment in First District Court in Hempstead on Jan. 6, 2015. If convicted of the top charge, he faces a maximum sentence of one year in jail.

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