2 Western Pa. nursing homes convicted of health care fraud; officials acquitted

A five-week federal trial ended in a split verdict Monday when a jury convicted two nursing homes of health care fraud but acquitted the officials in charge at the time of the fraud.

The two facilities found guilty are Brighton Rehabilitation and Wellness in Beaver County and Mt. Lebanon Rehabilitation and Wellness. Both facilities are managed by Comprehensive Healthcare Management Services.

Five employees were also charged in connection with the fraud: Sam Halper, the CEO and a co-owner of both facilities; Eva Hamilton, Brighton’s former director of nursing; Susan Gilbert, a Mt. Lebanon administrator; Michelle Romeo, a CHMS manager; and Johnna Haller, Brighton’s director of social services and a CHMS manager.

The jury exonerated all of any individual charges.

Brighton Rehab as a whole was found guilty of five counts of falsifying records to obstruct a federal investigation and one count of health care fraud.

Mt. Lebanon Rehab as a whole was found guilty of three counts of falsifying records to obstruct a federal investigation and one count of falsifying medical records.

Jurors were presented with around 400 pieces of evidence and nearly three dozen witnesses over the course of the trial, which began in November.

The sweeping August 2022 indictment detailed years of Medicaid and Medicare fraud, all in the name of increased profits with no extra work.

The scheme was twopronged, according to investigators.

In one, employees at the nursing facilities were accused of doctoring records to make it look like they had enough staff on duty to meet state requirements. Records listed employees as working when they were on lunch breaks or weren’t even in the building.

In the second prong, investigators accused staff of manipulating patients’ medical records to boost Medicare and Medicaid reimbursements.

Sentencing will be in

May.