Center: Patients safe from HIV-tainted plasma

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) - An Indianapolis woman is in jail accused of donating HIV-tainted plasma.

Marion County Prosecutors said doctors told 39-year-old Tammy Sharp in 2005 that she was HIV positive. In 2008 she decided to give plasma anyway.

Court records show Sharp donated plasma at the Plasma Center downtown in December 2008. Sharp signed an affidavit that said she was not HIV positive. Prosecutors said Sharp lied.

"We were able to identify her as a potential person that lied about her status, her HIV status," said Mario Massillamany with the Marion County Prosecutor’s Office.

Because of medical confidentiality laws, it took prosecutors nearly a year to file charges. Investigators said they had to get a subpoena to obtain Sharp's records from the plasma center.

"Once we gave the subpoena, they were able to show ‘Hey, this is Tammy Sharp. This is the photo she presented to us and the person that came and gave blood’," described Massillamany.

24-Hour News 8 talked with the Plasma Center's Corporate Office. They said plasma recipients were never at risk.

"We have an extensive screening and testing procedure in place that every one of our donors goes through every time they come to make a donation," said Chris Healey, Vice President for Public Affairs at Grifols Plasma Care.

Sharp is currently in the Marion County Jail under a $100,000 bond.

She could face up to eight years in prison.