Hospital executive created fake company to steal $620,000 in Illinois, feds say
The former chief operating officer and vice president of a Chicago-area hospital pleaded guilty to a federal fraud charge after creating a fake company to steal $622,500, court documents say.
From 2013 to 2021, Robert Spadoni led an operation where he approved Rush Oak Park Hospital’s payment of invoices to Medical Education Solutions, a company he established for the sole purpose of conducting the scheme, according to the plea agreement.
Attorneys for Spadoni did not immediately respond to McClatchy News’ request for comment on Jan. 25.
Spadoni was promoted to chief operating officer of Rush Oak Park in January 2014, one month after he created Medical Education Solutions, court documents say. As COO, he had the authority to approve the hospital’s invoices and payments.
He then facilitated a contract between the hospital and his fake company to provide administrative and compliance services, according to court documents. To conceal the scheme, federal officials say Spadoni paid a hospital employee $1,500 per month to provide those services instead, but this hospital employee was never listed on the fake company’s tax documents.
Medical Education Solutions charged the hospital $6,500 per month, documents say. Spadoni opened a bank account under his spouse’s name where the hospital’s payments were deposited, according to court documents.
With the stolen money, he contributed $225,805 to his 401(k) and spent the remaining on restaurants and hotels, according to the plea agreement.
Spadoni was removed from his role in August 2021, according to news outlets, and he was indicted in February 2023.
Rush’s statement upon the indictment said Spadoni was removed “as soon as the misappropriation was identified,” Chicago news outlets reported.
He pleaded guilty on Jan. 22 and is scheduled to be sentenced on April 30, according to prosecutors. He faces up to 20 years in prison.
Oak Park is about 10 miles west of Chicago.
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