Federal prosecutors charged the corporate operators of two Pennsylvania nursing homes—Brighton Rehabilitation and Wellness Center and Mt. Lebanon Rehabilitation and Wellness Center—with healthcare fraud, alleging that staffing records and patient assessments were falsified to meet regulatory requirements and inflate reimbursement from state and federal healthcare programs. The indictment also named Comprehensive Healthcare Management Services CEO Sam Halper and employees Susan Gilbert, Johnna Haller, Eva Hamilton, and Michelle Romeo, accusing them of conspiring to falsify records and misrepresent staffing levels and patient conditions over several years.
Following a five-week jury trial in the Western District of Pennsylvania, the jury returned a mixed verdict. While the corporate entities were convicted on certain counts, the jury acquitted Mr. Halper and all four employees of every charge, rejecting the government’s theory that the individuals knowingly participated in a coordinated fraud scheme. The defense emphasized that alleged discrepancies stemmed from administrative complexity, routine documentation errors, and misinterpretations of regulatory requirements rather than intentional misconduct, and that the individual defendants lacked knowledge of or involvement in any alleged falsification. The jury deliberated for less than two days before reaching its verdict.
DOAR was retained by the defense teams to provide evidence presentation services throughout the trial. Working alongside counsel, DOAR supported the clear and organized presentation of complex staffing data, regulatory records, and witness testimony, helping the defense teams communicate factual distinctions and contextual nuances to the jury during a lengthy and document-intensive proceeding.
