Annapolis Woman Pleads Guilty After Posing as Physician's Assistant

A Maryland woman accused of posing as a physician’s assistant and treating 200 infants and children pleaded guilty to wire fraud and aggravated identity theft Wednesday, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

Shawna Michelle Gunter, 37, of Annapolis, will serve three years in prison followed by a period of supervised release and will have to pay upwards of $42,000 in restitution.

In June 2013, Gunter was working as a surgical assistant in a Maryland doctor’s office when she requested a $7,800 loan from the doctor under false pretenses. Gunter later stole a check from the doctor and forged the doctor’s signature on the check for $14,400. Gunter admitted the theft and was fired. The funds, totaling $22,200, have not been repaid, according to court documents.

While searching for another job, Gunter told a pediatrician she had just graduated from Howard University with a degree as a physician’s assistant. Gunter then faxed a falsified resume to the doctor and provided a forged Practitioner’s Profile from the Maryland Board of Physicians bearing the license number of an actual physician’s assistant. She also provided a fabricated diploma.

From Aug. 19 to 29, Gunter diagnosed and treated over 200 infants and children without direct supervision, issuing over 400 prescriptions for controlled substances. The pediatrician’s practice thus unwittingly submitted hundreds of false claims for Medicaid coverage, resulting in nearly $20,000 in fees on those false claims.

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