Oct. 23, 2008 — Principals in the Schneider Regional Medical Center scandal pleaded not guilty Thursday to all of the charges against them, including, among other things, grand larceny, embezzlement, conspiracy and perjury.
The group of four — former hospital chief executive officers Rodney Miller Sr. and Amos Carty Jr., the hospital's former chief financial officer Peter Najawicz and former board chairwoman June A. Adams — were arrested earlier this month based on warrants issued by V.I. Superior Court Judge Michael C. Dunston
During an arraignment hearing held on St. Thomas Thursday, all four former officials also requested a speedy jury trial.
V.I. Superior Court Judge Brenda J. Hollar, who presided over Thursday's hearing, set a Nov. 6 deadline for discovery in the case, Nov. 12 deadline for all motions, a Nov. 20 deadline for all responses to motions, a Nov. 21 deadline for pleas and a Dec. 1 deadline for all change of pleas. The case has been assigned to Dunston, and jury selection should be set for Feb. 17, 2009, Hollar said.
The charges against the group stem from a recent joint local and federal audit that revealed the hospital executives received hefty compensation packages approved by Schneider Regional board members. At the end of his five years at the helm of the hospital, Miller had allegedly racked up close to $3.8 million in salary and associated perks, while Carty and Najawicz were receiving thousands more than the $80,000 salaries included in their NOPAs — documents that show, among other things, what government employees were paid.
In addition to approving the packages, the report said, board members deliberately withheld documents and other information from investigators while the audit was going on. Members of the territory's Hospitals and Health Facilities governing board of directors recently voted to fire Carty and Najawicz, while Gov. John deJongh Jr. asked Adams and four other board members to resign. (See:"Hospitals Board Fires Carty and Najawicz").
Carty has been charged with obtaining money by false pretenses, embezzlement or falsification of government accounts, embezzlement by fiduciaries, conversion of government property, embezzlement by public and private officers, grand larceny, conspiracy and fraudulent claims upon the government. He came on board as the hospital's general counsel in October 1999, and started also serving as its chief operating officer in 2002. Carty took over as chief executive officer when Miller resigned in 2007.
Najawicz has been formally charged with obtaining money by false pretenses, embezzlement by fiduciaries, conversion of government property, embezzlement by public and private officers, grand larceny, conspiracy and fraudulent claims upon the government.
Miller has been charged with obtaining money by false pretenses, embezzlement by fiduciaries, conversion of government property, embezzlement by public and private officers, grand larceny, conspiracy and fraudulent claims upon the government.
Adams has been charged with fraudulent claims upon the government, embezzlement of public accounts, embezzlement by fiduciaries, embezzlement by public and private officers, conversion of government property, conspiracy and perjury. (See:("Judge Upholds Charges Against Hospital Officials Accused of Diverting Millions").
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