A federal jury in Pittsburgh has convicted John O’Brien of Masury, Ohio, on three counts of wire fraud related to a scheme targeting Primary Health Network, a non-profit medical organization based in Sharon, Pennsylvania. The verdict was announced by United States Attorney Troy Rivetti following two days of jury deliberation.
O’Brien’s trial took place before United States District Judge J. Nicholas Ranjan. Evidence presented during the week-long proceedings showed that O’Brien worked with others to defraud Primary Health Network by submitting fraudulent invoices, including those from a telecommunications company under his control. Four other individuals involved in the case had previously pleaded guilty, among them three leaders of the organization who entered pleas last fall.
Judge Ranjan stated he would schedule O’Brien’s sentencing at a later date. Each count carries a potential sentence of up to 20 years in prison and a fine that could reach $250,000 or twice the loss caused by the offense. The final sentence will be determined according to federal guidelines and take into account the seriousness of the offenses as well as any prior criminal history.
Assistant United States Attorneys Jeffrey R. Bengel and William B. Guappone prosecuted the case for the government. The investigation was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Internal Revenue Service–Criminal Investigation.
