Former Nellis contractor pleads guilty in breast implant scam

A 31-year-old woman and former civilian contractor at Nellis Air Force Base pleaded guilty Monday to two counts of felony theft involving a breast implant scam, the Nevada attorney general's office said Tuesday.

Shanita Flax faces up to 10 years in prison for both counts and could face probation for up to five years. As part of the plea, Flax agreed to repay the Air Force $17,400 for fraudulent billing and the attorney general's office $10,000 for the cost of prosecution.

In late June, Flax, a Las Vegan, was indicted on 18 counts of theft and one count of attempted theft, the attorney general's office said.

Flax, a former civilian contractor at O'Callaghan Federal Medical Center on the base, was accused of intentionally misrepresenting the nature of breast augmentations and pocketing money from patients.

When breast augmentation procedures are necessary after an illness - most commonly breast cancer - or a work-related injury, the cost of the implants and the operations are covered by government-issued insurance given to military personnel and their dependents. But when the procedures are for cosmetic reasons, the surgeries and the implants must be paid for by the patients.

The indictment alleged that Flax filed patients' cosmetic surgeries as operations for cancer patients, a loophole that let her keep patients' money while using government-issued implants.

Flax also was accused of stealing $9,200 from patients and defrauding the Air Force out of $10,200 while working at the hospital from 2008 to 2010.

The Air Force Office of Special Investigations and the fraud unit of the attorney general's office worked together on the investigation. Flax's sentencing is scheduled for Dec. 3.