The former chief operating officer of Cleveland-based MetroHealth System was sentenced to more than 15 years in prison for his role in a conspiracy to defraud the health system through a series of bribes and kickbacks, according to the Department of Justice.
Five things to know:
1. The sentencing came after former COO Edward Hills, DDS, and three co-defendants — all dentists at MetroHealth — were found guilty of criminal charges in July 2018. The four men were indicted for the crimes in October 2016.
2. According to court documents presented by the Justice Department during the trial, Dr. Hills and two of his co-defendants engaged in a racketeering conspiracy from 2008 through 2016 that involved a series of bribes, witness tampering and other crimes.
3. Federal prosecutors alleged Dr. Hills solicited cash, checks and expensive gifts from the two co-defendants beginning in 2009, and in return took actions on their behalf allowing them to operate their individual private dental clinics during regular business hours while receiving full-time salaries from MetroHealth.
4. Dr. Hills, who also served as interim president and CEO of MetroHealth from December 2012 through July 2013, allowed the co-defendants to hire MetroHealth dental residents to work at their private clinics during regular business hours and did not require them to pay wages or salaries to residents. He allowed the three individuals and others to solicit bribes from prospective dental school residents, which amounted to at least $75,000 between 2008 and 2014.
5. Dr. Hills' co-defendants are scheduled to be sentenced later this month.
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