Ga. tech in mammo fraud hit with monetary damages

The Georgia radiologic technologist who falsified mammography records has been hit with $200,000 in punitive damages in civil lawsuits filed by two women affected in the case.

Rachael Michelle Rapraeger was assessed the penalties by a Bibb County Superior Court judge, according to an article in the Telegraph of Macon. They come in addition to criminal penalties assessed against her, including a sentence of up to six months in a probation-detention facility and 10 years of probation. Rapraeger began serving her sentence two weeks ago, according to the newspaper.

Rapraeger pleaded guilty to marking nearly 1,300 screening mammograms as having been read by a radiologist, when they actually hadn't been interpreted. Her attorney said she was feeling overwhelmed by her workload at Perry Hospital in Perry, GA.

The two civil suits are among 17 lawsuits filed against Rapraeger in connection with the case by women who claimed to have emotional distress from needing to receive repeat mammograms. Ten women of the 1,300 are believed to have cancer, and two have since died, the newspaper reported.

Rapraeger is not believed to have any assets to pay the civil damages claim, according to the Telegraph.