Woman tries avoiding hospital bill by using false name

PIERRE, S.D. (AP) - A Rapid City woman has pleaded no contest to defrauding a Pierre hospital in 2014 by using a false name.

Authorities say 44-year-old Debra Sigler used the name Debra Moreland while getting medical care including surgery at Avera St. Mary’s Hospital to try to avoid a $65,000 bill.

The Capital Journal reports she pleaded no contest to a grand theft charge on Tuesday. The court treats it the same as a guilty plea.

Sigler could face up to five years in prison, along with restitution. She wasn’t immediately sentenced.

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Information from: Pierre Capital Journal, http://www.capjournal.com