Last month, Jamie Leeanne Baltazar pleaded guilty to two counts of theft, class 2 felonies. This week a Maricopa County judge sentenced Baltazar to 10 years in prison to be served in the Arizona Department of Corrections.
Working as a claims processor for Oxford Life Insurance Company handling medical payments to U-Hall retirees, Baltazar was entrusted with substantial authority to process stipends for out-of-pocket medical costs. Between 2011 and 2019, Baltazar generated fraudulent medical claims using retiree names from a master list to have fraudulent checks printed, which she rerouted to her home address.
Baltazar took these checks and deposited them into her personal account. Over the eight-year period, Baltazar stole on average $25,000 a month from the fraudulent activity. Aside from the prison sentence, Baltazar was ordered to pay over $2.5 million in restitution. Her prison sentence will be followed by a 5-year probation.
“This individual took advantage of her position and her access to substantial sums of other people’s money over an eight-year period. We are thankful to those who discovered her actions and came forward so that justice may be served,” said County Attorney Rachel Mitchell.
