Former West Tennessee Healthcare Director Sentenced to Federal Prison

Jackson, TN – Melanie Haste, 62, formerly of Trenton, Tennessee, has been sentenced to  18  months  
in  federal prison  for  wire  fraud.    Joseph C.  Murphy  Jr.,  United  States Attorney, 
announced the sentence today.

According to the information presented in court, from 2012  until 2020,  Haste served as the  
Director  of  Risk  Management at  West  Tennessee Healthcare  and  worked  at  the Jackson-Madison 
County Hospital.  During her time there, she developed a fraud scheme that allowed her to steal 
hundreds of thousands of dollars from the organization.

In May 2020, Haste stole and attempted to deposit a check made out to the organization into  her 
own  account.   The check was for  more than $146,000.   After bank personnel became suspicious, 
they froze her account and alerted West Tennessee Healthcare of her actions.    After  the  matter  
was  referred  to  law  enforcement, it  was  discovered that beginning in 2017, Haste had stolen 
and attempted to steal more than $355,000 over a three-year period, using the hospital's money to 
pay personal expenses, finance vacations, and give to family members.

In January 2022, Haste pled guilty to one count of wire fraud.

On June 15, 2022,  United States District  Judge J. Daniel Breen sentenced Haste to  18 months in 
federal prison, followed by two years of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment. The  
Court  also  ordered Haste  to  pay  $209,181.47  in  restitution  to  the organization.  In 
imposing the sentence, the Court noted that Haste had abused the trust of her employer, and the 
seriousness of her offense warranted a prison sentence.   There is no parole in the federal system.

The case was investigated by the Jackson Police Department, Financial Crimes Unit, and
the United States Secret Service.

Assistant  United  States  Attorney  Matt  Wilson  prosecuted the  case  on  behalf  of  the
government.

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