Former head of Tulare hospital pays over $2M in restitution, pleads no contest to 6 felonies

VISALIA, Calif. (KFSN) -- In interaction statements, the Tulare County District Attorney's bureau and the defence shared their arguments earlier a justice connected Thursday day successful a Visalia courtroom connected the years-long lawsuit against Dr. Benny Benzeevi.

Dr. Benzeevi is the antheral down 1 of the astir important cases of corruption successful Tulare County.

Earlier this year, helium pleaded nary contention to six felonies and 2 misdemeanors stemming from an embezzlement and wealth laundering case.

Charges see struggle of involvement regarding contracts helium entered and loans for idiosyncratic gain, which happened from 2015 to 2017 portion helium was successful complaint of the Tulare Regional Medical Center.

"It ends with him selling $3 cardinal of infirmary spot and utilizing the funds helium raised to wage a indebtedness to his company, which past went to him 1 period earlier the infirmary declared bankruptcy and collapsed," said Trevor Holly, Assistant District Attorney.

Eventually, this led the infirmary to adjacent down for a year.

"It cannot beryllium overlooked that determination was carnal harm to patients. In immoderate cases, resulting successful the eventual sacrifice of death," said Tulare dentist Dr. Patricia Drilling. She continued, "They died due to the fact that of greed and the request for power, placing profits implicit people."

The probe into Benzeevi's lawsuit took implicit 3 years and outgo prosecutors an estimated $1.5 million.

On Thursday, the prosecution asked for a twelvemonth successful jail... and restitution fees.

In court, a $2.2 cardinal cheque was handed implicit by Benzeevi's attorney, but determination was nary clip down bars.

"The downside is, I was unhappy with the sentencing, and I ever have," explains Holly.

The defence says Benzeevi has already served 120 days of location detention, did 600 hours of assemblage work and has been successful bully lasting during his two-year probation period, which started erstwhile helium entered his plea successful February of this year.

"He is simply a bully idiosyncratic with bully intentions and got atrocious advice," says Benzeevi's attorney, Nina Marino.

Although the funds volition assistance the infirmary expand, Adventist Health present manages it.

One section says the harm done makes it hard to rebuild.

"Because a batch of radical mislaid their jobs, and I bash judge that erstwhile this infirmary closed down, determination were radical that suffered, and waiting times astatine different hospitals roseate drastically," expresses Xavier Avila, who besides serves arsenic the Secretary of Tulare Local Health Care District.

Benzeevi's co-defendant, Alan Germany, took a plea woody past twelvemonth that kept him retired of prison.

The erstwhile CFO was sentenced to 2 years of probation and ordered to wage a full of 150-thousand dollars successful restitution.

For South Valley quality updates, travel Kassandra Gutierrez connected Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.