12-10-2009, 05:33 AM
Hooi Loon œCarmen Por was on her way to becoming a respected doctor of internal medicine.
With glowing letters of recommendation and a degree from an Irish medical school, the Malaysian citizen earned a coveted residency at University Hospital. Doctors there, though, noticed her skills weren™t commensurate with her spectacular references, so they called University of Cincinnati police.
It turns out the well-respected resident is a convicted felon who left Ireland after admitting she stole money from patients and fellow doctors. Hospital officials were unaware “ until Por became a suspect in a criminal investigation involving identity theft at University Hospital “ that she had a criminal history, UC police Detective James Vestring said Tuesday.
œThey Googled her and found out she had been stealing people™s identities and booted her out of Ireland, Vestring said.
Por, 26, left Ireland in 2008 after pleading guilty to 12 counts of theft, stealing thousands of dollars in cash and credit cards from doctors, nurses and two elderly patients. She was ordered to serve time behind bars there, but that was suspended on the condition she leave Ireland within days.
Por, licensed as a doctor by the State Medical Board of Ohio, is suspected of doing the same thing at University Hospital. When alerted to that investigation, hospital officials checked her references and discovered they™d been wildly embellished.
œHer performance was just part of it, Assistant Prosecutor Bill Anderson said. œThere were things that went missing up there. Doctors™ identities were being compromised. She was certainly a suspect.
œIt™s the same (modus operandi) of what they got her on in Ireland, Vestring added.
University Hospital spokesman Don Crouse wouldn™t answer questions about when the hospital accepted Por into its residency department or why it didn™t check her references before she was hired to the $44,000-a-year residency. Crouse left The Enquirer a voice mail, saying Por™s personnel file was sealed. He didn™t return calls for clarification.
But Andrew Filak, senior associate dean for the UC College of Medicine, said Por™s background check, done when residents are matched with University Hospital after graduating medical school, showed no criminal history.
That™s because there is no process, Filak said, that can access an international criminal record.
œThere™s no big database in the sky for that, Filak said.
And Por™s official paperwork seeking the job listed her legal name while she was convicted in Ireland under the Anglicized name œCarmen Por.
Vestring and his police partner started investigating Por when they discovered the manager of the Wall Street Deli inside University Hospital had accused her of theft.
œHe told us she would come in there every day for months and steal juice and food, Vestring said.
The manager finally confronted her. She replaced the items and left.
Por pleaded guilty Nov. 23 in Hamilton County Municipal Court to unauthorized use of property by taking. She admitted she stole over a three-month period more than $100 in food and beverages. She was ordered to repay the deli $104.
Vestring said they charged her with that minor misdemeanor just so they could talk to her about her references.
She admitted, he said, that much of the reference material was made up. She did it to increase her chances of winning a residency, something she told Vestring was common among foreigners hoping to earn the coveted jobs.
œThe better you look on paper, they better your chances of getting a residency at a good school, Vestring said she told him.
But how did she get into the United States and accepted by University Hospital with felony convictions on her record?
Por was living in Malaysia when she applied, Vestring said, likely to cover her criminal tracks.
œShe went from Ireland to Malaysia, so when you run her, her stuff in Ireland didn™t pop up, Vestring said. œIt was just one of those things that just fell through the cracks.
Por pleaded guilty last week to forgery. Anderson said it was far more serious than just resume padding because of her job.
œYou™ve got to draw a distinction when someone has the power over life and death, Anderson said.
Por also misled Common Pleas Court Judge Dennis Helmick about why she left Ireland. She told him it was a work ethic problem.
Helmick then held up a piece of paper outlining her Ireland crimes.
œI wouldn™t call that a work ethic problem. I would call that a thievery problem, he told her.
Helmick ordered Por placed on four years of probation but made it so she wouldn™t have to report to anyone. That™s because she is leaving today (Wednesday, Dec. 9, 2009 “ KP) for Malaysia.
He also ordered her not come back to this country without permission of the U.S. Justice Department and not to practice medicine without prior approval by medical boards where she wants to work.
Despite all of that, Vestring suspects the story isn™t over.
œShe was trying to get a job in Australia. You know she™ll pop up again, he said.
http://news.cincinnati.com/article/20091...aDSfcrM%3D
With glowing letters of recommendation and a degree from an Irish medical school, the Malaysian citizen earned a coveted residency at University Hospital. Doctors there, though, noticed her skills weren™t commensurate with her spectacular references, so they called University of Cincinnati police.
It turns out the well-respected resident is a convicted felon who left Ireland after admitting she stole money from patients and fellow doctors. Hospital officials were unaware “ until Por became a suspect in a criminal investigation involving identity theft at University Hospital “ that she had a criminal history, UC police Detective James Vestring said Tuesday.
œThey Googled her and found out she had been stealing people™s identities and booted her out of Ireland, Vestring said.
Por, 26, left Ireland in 2008 after pleading guilty to 12 counts of theft, stealing thousands of dollars in cash and credit cards from doctors, nurses and two elderly patients. She was ordered to serve time behind bars there, but that was suspended on the condition she leave Ireland within days.
Por, licensed as a doctor by the State Medical Board of Ohio, is suspected of doing the same thing at University Hospital. When alerted to that investigation, hospital officials checked her references and discovered they™d been wildly embellished.
œHer performance was just part of it, Assistant Prosecutor Bill Anderson said. œThere were things that went missing up there. Doctors™ identities were being compromised. She was certainly a suspect.
œIt™s the same (modus operandi) of what they got her on in Ireland, Vestring added.
University Hospital spokesman Don Crouse wouldn™t answer questions about when the hospital accepted Por into its residency department or why it didn™t check her references before she was hired to the $44,000-a-year residency. Crouse left The Enquirer a voice mail, saying Por™s personnel file was sealed. He didn™t return calls for clarification.
But Andrew Filak, senior associate dean for the UC College of Medicine, said Por™s background check, done when residents are matched with University Hospital after graduating medical school, showed no criminal history.
That™s because there is no process, Filak said, that can access an international criminal record.
œThere™s no big database in the sky for that, Filak said.
And Por™s official paperwork seeking the job listed her legal name while she was convicted in Ireland under the Anglicized name œCarmen Por.
Vestring and his police partner started investigating Por when they discovered the manager of the Wall Street Deli inside University Hospital had accused her of theft.
œHe told us she would come in there every day for months and steal juice and food, Vestring said.
The manager finally confronted her. She replaced the items and left.
Por pleaded guilty Nov. 23 in Hamilton County Municipal Court to unauthorized use of property by taking. She admitted she stole over a three-month period more than $100 in food and beverages. She was ordered to repay the deli $104.
Vestring said they charged her with that minor misdemeanor just so they could talk to her about her references.
She admitted, he said, that much of the reference material was made up. She did it to increase her chances of winning a residency, something she told Vestring was common among foreigners hoping to earn the coveted jobs.
œThe better you look on paper, they better your chances of getting a residency at a good school, Vestring said she told him.
But how did she get into the United States and accepted by University Hospital with felony convictions on her record?
Por was living in Malaysia when she applied, Vestring said, likely to cover her criminal tracks.
œShe went from Ireland to Malaysia, so when you run her, her stuff in Ireland didn™t pop up, Vestring said. œIt was just one of those things that just fell through the cracks.
Por pleaded guilty last week to forgery. Anderson said it was far more serious than just resume padding because of her job.
œYou™ve got to draw a distinction when someone has the power over life and death, Anderson said.
Por also misled Common Pleas Court Judge Dennis Helmick about why she left Ireland. She told him it was a work ethic problem.
Helmick then held up a piece of paper outlining her Ireland crimes.
œI wouldn™t call that a work ethic problem. I would call that a thievery problem, he told her.
Helmick ordered Por placed on four years of probation but made it so she wouldn™t have to report to anyone. That™s because she is leaving today (Wednesday, Dec. 9, 2009 “ KP) for Malaysia.
He also ordered her not come back to this country without permission of the U.S. Justice Department and not to practice medicine without prior approval by medical boards where she wants to work.
Despite all of that, Vestring suspects the story isn™t over.
œShe was trying to get a job in Australia. You know she™ll pop up again, he said.
http://news.cincinnati.com/article/20091...aDSfcrM%3D