Jackson Hospital Employee and Construction Company Operators Charged in Bribery Scheme
| U.S. Attorney’s Office January 31, 2014 |
Wifredo A. Ferrer, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, and Michael B. Steinbach, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Miami Field Office, announce the filing of two informations charging conspiracies to offer bribes and to accept bribes by persons associated with Jackson North Medical Center, a hospital and health care provider, which is part of Jackson Health System, popularly known in Miami-Dade County as Jackson Memorial Hospital, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 371 and 666(a)(1)(B).
The first of the two informations charges Douglas Denton, 59, Cooper City, with conspiring with V.S. and L.L. to corruptly solicit, demand, accept, and agree to accept cash payments, intending that Denton would be influenced and rewarded in connection with transactions of Jackson Health System, involving at least $5,000, that is, vendor contracts to provide goods and services to Jackson Health System.
According to the information, Denton was an employee at Jackson North Medical Center who solicited payments from the operators of a small business called Seico Construction Co., in return for awarding those operators contracts for construction jobs at Jackson North Medical Center. The information identifies the operators of Seico as V.S. and L.L. The information further alleges that from 2010 through 2013, Denton received a total of $5,000, in increments of $1,000, on five separate occasions from co-conspirators.
The second information charges defendants Victor Seijas, 45, and Luis Ledesma, 50, both of Miami, with conspiring with D.D., an employee of Jackson North Medical Center, to corruptly give, offer, and agree to give monetary payments to an employee of Jackson North Medical Center in connection with transactions of Jackson North Medical Center and Jackson Health Systems involving more than $5,000. The information alleges that the monetary payments were made by Seijas and Ledesma in order to obtain construction contracts at Jackson North Medical Center. The Information further alleges that Seijas and Ledesma operated a small business called Seico Construction Co. that obtained construction contracts from conspirator D.D. for construction jobs at Jackson North Medical Center in the time period 2010 through 2013.
The defendants are expected to make their initial appearances today, January 31, 2014, at 1:30 p.m. before U.S. Magistrate Judge Jonathan Goodman. If convicted, the defendants face a maximum sentence of five years in prison on the one count of conspiracy against each of them. They also face possible $250,000 fine, and payment of restitution.
Mr. Ferrer commended the investigative efforts of the FBI. This case is being prosecuted by Senior Litigation Counsel Michael P. Sullivan.
An Information is only an accusation and a defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty.
A copy of this press release may be found on the website of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida at www.usdoj.gov/usao/fls.