A federal grand jury indicted the CEO, three other executives and four physicians accused of running a kickback scheme at a now-defunct Chicago hospital.
The indictment comes six months after prosecutors announced arrests and charges in the case, saying they'd rushed them in order to prevent further harm to patients.
According to the indictment, Sacred Heart Hospital paid hundreds of thousands of dollars in kickbacks to physicians for referrals. CEO Edward Novak, Chief Financial Officer Roy Payawal, Chief Operating Officer Anthony Puorro and Vice President of Geriatric Services Noemi Velgara are charged with conspiracy to violate the anti-kickback statute.
Novak and Payawal are also charged with paying kickbacks for patients.
Drs. Percy May Jr., Subir Maitra, Shanin Moshiri and Rajiv Kandala are charged with referring patients in return for the bribes, disguised as legitimate payment for consulting, employment, rent and instructional stipends.
Sacred Heart, a 96-bed hospital on the city's West Side, closed in July and its license was revoked in September.
Send us a letter
Have an opinion about this story? Click here to submit a Letter to the Editor, and we may publish it in print.
