Former Prov Physicians Group Employee Pleads Guilty to Extortion Charges

Randy Lutz, a former employee of a Providence physicians group admitted to trying to extort $25,000 from the group in exchange for the return of digital media devices onto which he downloaded and took home private patient data and employee data belonging to the physicians' group.

Lutz admitted to making the demands in a series of emails, text messages and telephone calls to executives, board members and employees of the group after his employment with the group was terminated in May of 2017.

Lutz has been a leader and an advocate for children with disabilities. He has been featured in numerous GoLocal articles on the subject. 

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He is scheduled to be sentenced on March 7, 2019.

The Investigation

As GoLocalProv reported, On July 20, 2017, during an investigation by the FBI and the United States Attorney’s Office into this matter, FBI agents and FBI Task Force officers executed a court authorized search of Lutz’s residence. During the search, several thumb drives, a laptop, and cell phone were seized. Some of the devices allegedly contained private patient data and employee data belonging to the physicians' group.

According to information presented to the court, it is alleged that after the search of Lutz’s residence was completed and members of law enforcement left the residence, Lutz telephoned an officer of the physicians' group and emailed a high-ranking officer at Lifespan to further discuss the matter.

429 Too Many Requests

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