Federal jury finds Brighton and Mount Lebanon Rehab Centers guilty of making false claims
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) -- Two nursing facilities in the Pittsburgh area have been convicted of numerous federal charges related to healthcare fraud.
A federal jury on Monday found that the companies who run the Brighton Rehabilitation and Wellness Center and the Mount Lebanon Rehabilitation and Wellness Center were guilty of making false statements in connection with health care benefit payments.
The jury also found that the companies were guilty of obstructing the federal investigation.
Five individuals who were indicted and named in the case were acquitted of their charges.
The U.S. Attorney's Office says that evidence during the trial showed that the nursing homes falsified information provided to the Pennsylvania Department of Health as well as with the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services to show that the facilities were in compliance with government regulations.
The Brighton facility facility became one of the hot spots in the state for COVID-19 outbreaks in 2020 and The National Guard sent in more than three dozen members to help during the height of the pandemic..
A federal grand jury began investigating the facility in February of 2021.
Sentencing will be held in May and the companies could face a maximum total sentence of five years probation, a $500,000 fine, or both.
