Auction on eBay leads to arrest
LYNNWOOD, Wash. – A 39-year-old woman was arrested after authorities alleged she sold thousands of dollars’ worth of diapers and other supplies – purchased by the state for her disabled daughter – on eBay.
Snohomish County sheriff’s deputies arrested Sally Hansen on Tuesday for investigation of first-degree theft and falsely seeking state aid.
Fraud investigators wrote in a search warrant affidavit that the state Department of Social and Health Services has reimbursed Medical Supply Inc. of Snohomish $15,100 for diapers, fruit drinks, cases of the nutritional supplement PediaSure and other supplies that went to Hansen, purportedly on behalf of her 8-year-old daughter.
In addition, a state employee health insurance program, Uniform Medical Insurance, has paid nearly $23,000 for items that went to Hansen.
Most, if not all, of the items were put up for sale on the popular Internet auction site, the affidavit said.
Hansen, who posted bail and was released, does not have a listed telephone number and could not immediately be reached for comment Thursday.
Prosecutors had not filed any charges by Thursday, according to Snohomish County Chief Criminal Deputy Prosecutor Mark Roe, who said more investigation was needed.
According to an affidavit prepared by Linda Peterson, a criminal investigator for DSHS, Hansen ordered the items through Medical Supply on behalf of her daughter, who uses a wheelchair.
The eBay sales started in June 2002, the affidavit said.
Peterson began investigating after receiving a tip from Wanda DeGolier of Tacoma, who bought 12 cases of PediaSure from the Lynnwood woman. She noticed that one case had a label from a medical supply company in Snohomish saying the supplement was for Hansen’s daughter.
DeGolier was buying the PediaSure for her 18-month-old son, Makin, who is fed through a tube because he isn’t able to swallow food.
“It’s wrong, it’s just wrong,” she told the Herald of Everett. “I know having a special needs kid is expensive, but that’s not the way to make ends meet.”
DeGolier contacted Medical Supply, which contacted DSHS.
The affidavit said Hansen works for the University of Washington as an administrative assistant, and that her husband, Donald Eugene Hansen, makes more than $92,000 a year working for SourceOne HealthCare of Everett. No phone listing for that company could be found in Everett.
The medical supply company worked with Peterson to track Hansen’s eBay offerings, the affidavit said. On Aug. 12, investigators purchased diapers and paid $180 for eight cases of PediaSure valued at $419.