A judge handed down a suspended prison sentence Dec. 3 to Lon Butikofer, PhD, RN, the former CEO of Regional Medical Center in Manchester, Iowa, who pleaded guilty to first-degree theft in October, according to local radio station KMCH.
The sentence means Dr. Butikofer could avoid prison time if he does not break the law during the probationary period.
A state audit report revealed earlier this year that Dr. Butikofer and Mike Briggs, former system fund development director, misused more than $256,000 of hospital funds by failing to record paid leave and charging personal trips to the hospital's credit card. The funds were misused over an eight-year period, from 2009 to 2017. Both Dr. Butikofer and Mr. Briggs left their positions at the hospital in 2017 due to concerns over the improper disbursements. They were arrested in June 2019, according to KMCH.
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