An attorney who worked as a vice president and COO of an Illinois hospital pleaded guilty Jan. 22 to a federal fraud charge.
Robert Spadoni, 59, the former COO of Rush Oak Park (Ill.) Hospital, defrauded the facility in a scheme in which he obtained more than $620,000 in hospital funds, according to a Jan. 22 Justice Department news release. Mr. Spadoni admitted in his plea agreement that from 2013 to 2021, he approved the hospital's payment of invoices to Medical Education Solutions, a vendor company he established that purportedly provided administrative support and compliance services.
However, in actuality, Mr. Spadoni opened a bank account for Medical Education Solutions in a relative's name, and the hospital's payments were put into the account, prosecutors said. All the while, he paid $1,500 monthly to another hospital employee to actually provide the administrative and compliance services.
Overall, the fraud resulted in Mr. Spadoni obtaining approximately $622,500 in payments from the hospital, which was used for things like restaurant meals and hotel stays, the plea agreement states, according to the release. Mr. Spadoni also transferred $225,805 into his 401(k) account.
When sentenced, Mr. Spadoni will face up to 20 years in prison, according to the Justice Department.
Rush Oak Park Hospital is part of Chicago-based Rush, which also comprises Rush University and Rush University Medical Center, Aurora, Ill.-based Rush Copley Medical Center, as well as a provider network and numerous outpatient care facilities.
Rush told Becker's it will reserve comment until April, when sentencing is scheduled.