Originally published February 15 2006
Rhode Island hospital garners negative publicity after its executives are targeted in a federal probe
by Mike Adams, the Health Ranger, NaturalNews Editor
Mail fraud and conspiracy are the charges being brought against Robert A. Urciuoli, Peter Sangermano, and Frances P. Driscoll, who all worked on behalf of Roger Williams Medical Center to acquire favors from Senator John Celona.
Roger Williams Medical Center, its president and two other executives pleaded not guilty Thursday in a federal probe into Statehouse corruption.
Urciuoli held a news conference after the arraignment where he declared he was innocent and looked forward to clearing his name.
His lawyer, Robert Flanders, said Urciuoli had no plans to resign as chief executive.
Celona has admitted doing paid political favors for the medical center and the Village at Elmhurst while serving in the General Assembly.
He pleaded guilty last year to three counts of federal mail fraud and is cooperating with the investigation.
Speaking at the downtown law office of his attorney, Urciuoli said the medical center hired Celona as a consultant because of his ties to the elderly community.
He said the medical center sought legal opinions on its relationship with Celona, and that the contract had been reviewed several times and considered acceptable.
"The issue is whether I, or one of my colleagues, or one of the top 100 hospitals in the country somehow broke the law in engaging John Celona," Urciuoli said.
Driscoll, who left the hospital in 2000, released a statement after her arraignment saying she and her lawyers believed the charges were misdirected and proclaiming her innocence.
At the arraignment, prosecutor Luis Matos asked the judge to set bail at $50,000 to reflect the seriousness of the charges.
Federal prosecutors say Celona earned more than $260,000 between February 1998 and 2004 for work he did for Roger Williams.
A former federal prosecutor, now a judge in Massachusetts, later reviewed the contract with Celona and found it legal and ethical, Flanders said.
The hospital, Urciuoli and Sangermano are charged with conspiracy and 36 counts of mail fraud.
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