Former HealthSouth division controller charged

The U.S. attorney in Birmingham, Ala., filed three counts of conspiracy and securities fraud charges against Sonny Crumpler, a former HealthSouth Corp. employee, in connection with the $2.6 billion accounting scandal that occurred at the Birmingham-based company. In a news release, the government said Crumpler, 44, held various positions from 1986 to 2000 at HealthSouth, including working as a controller of a division. Crumpler in 2000 became chief financial officer for Source Medical Solutions, a company started by HealthSouth, but remained on the HealthSouth payroll until October 2002, the release said, adding that Crumpler knowingly signed financial statements that inflated how much Source Medical owed HealthSouth. If convicted of all charges, Crumpler faces a maximum sentence of 15 years in prison and more than $1.25 million in fines. -- by Joseph Mantone