10/30/2019
State Auditor Nicole Galloway today released a statement after David Byrns, the former CEO of Putnam County Memorial Hospital, pleaded guilty to federal criminal charges of conspiracy to commit health care fraud. Charges were filed in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Missouri and then transferred to the Middle District of Florida, where Byrns entered his plea on Tuesday.
Byrns' fraud came to light after a 2017 audit of Putnam County Memorial Hospital found $90 million in illegal billings were passed through the 15-bed hospital in northern Missouri. It marks the largest fraud exposed in the history of the State Auditor's Office.
"The fraud we uncovered at this small rural hospital exposed a national conspiracy that impacts health care costs for all Missourians," Auditor Galloway said. "My office remains committed to working with federal law enforcement to ensure those responsible for these crimes are held accountable."
Read more about the case from the Department of Justice here.
