The trial for 28-year-old Upper Darby resident Shacoy McNish, who was accused of stealing the identities of patients at the Hospital of the University of the Pennsylvania in November, was postponed by a Delaware County judge until July 6.
The case was postponed for the fourth time when Judge Patricia Jenkins called for the delay on May 24 on behalf of the commonwealth. Previous postponements were called due to witnesses were not available to attend the trial, but in this case the judge herself was unable to appear.
The case was given priority scheduling in its continuance, solving the witness problem by selecting a date when all parties would be able to appear, according to Delaware County Assistant District Attorney Michael Mattson, The new date has been classified as “date certain,” Mattson said.
Although McNish is charged with 19 counts of identity theft, he accessed 18 patient files, University of Pennsylvania Health System Susan Phillips told The Daily Pennsylvanian in December.
McNish allegedly accessed the files through a former employee of the University of Pennsylvania Health System, Phillips said in an April e-mail.
According to a police affidavit, McNish reportedly purchased about $3,000 of merchandise at an Upper Darby Sears store on Nov. 18, 2009 and Nov. 23, 2009 using social security numbers associated with two Sears credit card accounts — whose holders were unaware the accounts had been opened .
Phillips explained in April that the Health System’s procedures did not undergo any changes as a result of McNish’s arrest, but later added that even if changes were being made she could not divulge any details.
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