How Eric Drew Beat Leukemia and Identity Theft

A couple of weeks ago, Consumerist relayed the story of Eric Drew. While Drew battled leukemia, a lab tech figured he didn't have enough problems and stole his identity, bringing the fury of creditors scorned down on the head of a man at death's door. Eventually, Drew sued the major credit bureaus and won.

It was an interesting story, but Discover Magazine posted an even more compelling version, complete with horrifying medical details and a zinger of an ending.

And we'd overlooked the local angle: The Discover story opens on a rainy Seattle waterfront, at night. That lab tech? Worked for the Seattle Cancer Care Alliance, where Drew was receiving experimental treatments. (And, for good measure, King 5 helped crack the case!)

That's not even the end of the story:

Drew was ready to pack it in when the local TV station contacted a Lowe’s store, spurring the retailer to check its surveillance videos. With the help of Drew’s records, they pinpointed a purchase to a specific time and date, and the TV station put the grainy footage on the news for everyone in town to see. As Drew lay in bed watching the video, he couldn’t believe his eyes. There was the fake Eric Drew, a middle-aged African American man in hospital scrubs. His name was Richard Gibson, a lab technician at the Seattle Cancer Care Alliance who had tested Drew’s blood.

Drew was indignant. This guy had taken him for dead and took him to the cleaners. He was told by attorneys that he could have sued the hospital for millions, but now he just wanted justice. Four days later he got it. On March 2, 2004, Gibson turned himself in and became the first person in the country to be convicted for violating the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, which protects patient privacy. Gibson was later sentenced to 16 months in prison and ordered to pay more than $9,000 in restitution.

Drew had fought to get back his good name and won. Now he was ready to reclaim his life.

Eric Drew beat cancer, he beat identity theft, and there's more to the story. Seriously, read the whole thing.