A federal grand jury indicted the former vice president and chief operating officer of Rush Oak Park Hospital accusing him of defrauding the healthcare facility out of $622,000.

Robert Spadoni, 58, of Darien, is charged with three counts of mail fraud and three counts of money laundering.

The indictment alleges Spadoni caused the hospital to enter into an agreement with a company he created to provide administrative support and compliance services to the hospital’s podiatry residency program. 

“The hospital agreed to pay $6,500 per month for the purported services Spadoni knew would not be provided,” according to federal prosecutors in Chicago. “Spadoni concealed, and attempted to conceal, his and a family member’s financial interest in [the company], providing a direct report with a $1,500 monthly cash payment in order to perform the administrative support and compliance services that were covered by the [company’s] agreement.” 

The indictment does not specifically name Rush as the hospital system Spadoni worked for; however, Rush’s website identified him as Rush Oak Park Hospital’s VP and COO during the time period the indictment covers.

Prosecutors note the has a policy against employees having a financial interest in firms that do business with the hospital. Spadoni and a family member used money obtained from the hospital for their own personal benefit, according to prosecutors.

“As soon as the misappropriation was identified, the employee was removed, and a detailed forensic audit and internal investigation began to gather all relevant information to share with the appropriate authorities,” a spokesperson for Rush said. “We continue to work closely with the proper authorities as the case enters the next phase. The new leadership team at RUSH Oak Park Hospital has implemented a number of strategic initiatives intended to bolster the trusted relationships we all expect from our healthcare providers.”