Michael Lucchesi, MD, former chair of emergency medicine and chief medical officer at New York City-based SUNY Downstate Medical Center, has been sentenced to one to three years in prison for embezzling $1.44 million from the hospital, Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez announced in an Aug. 6 news release.
What happened?
- In June, Dr. Lucchesi pleaded guilty to one count of first-degree grand larceny. He also agreed to pay $720,000 in restitution, including $63,926 to the New York State Department of Taxation and Finance and $656,074 to Downstate Hospital’s clinical practice.
- Between Dec. 1, 2016, and Jan. 31, 2023, Dr. Lucchesi used a hospital-issued credit card, intended for business purposes only, to make personal purchases.
- According to prosecutors, these expenses included approximately $115,000 in cash advances, $176,000 in pet care costs, $348,000 in personal travel, $109,000 in New York Sports Club memberships and personal training, $52,000 in catering, and $46,000 in tuition payments for his children, among other unauthorized charges.
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