Former CEO of Loretto Hospital, George Miller, stands accused of engaging in a bribery scheme where he allegedly pocketed upwards of $750,000. According to federal prosecutors, Miller accepted bribes in exchange for funneling contracts worth millions to companies owned by Sameer Suhail, as stated in a recent WTTW News report.
Miller, along with former CFO Anosh Ahmed and the former chief transformation officer Heather Bergdahl, who have all been slapped with various charges, are part of an alleged conspiracy that prosecutors claim siphoned around $15 million from the safety-net hospital. These accusations came to light on the heels of an investigation that initially focused on the misallocation of vaccines intended for at-risk populations during the early stages of the pandemic and were further substantiated by a superseding indictment as detailed by Block Club Chicago.
Between October 15, 2018, and June 1, 2019, Miller and Ahmed allegedly orchestrated at least three contracts awarded to Suhail-connected entities. The contracts led to Loretto transferring no less than $19 million to Suhail's bank accounts, as per the indictment. It was reported that Suhail, in turn, transferred a portion of those funds to Ahmed who then, relayed $769,000 to Miller through direct transactions or intermediaries. Ahmed and Suhail have currently taken up residence in Dubai, while Bergdahl was apprehended before a flight bound for the same destination.
In one particular instance, as outlined by the indictment and reported by Block Club Chicago, "On June 5, 2019, Ahmed texted Miller, telling him money he’d receive as part of the deal, prosecutors said: $5,000 monthly for one part of the conspiracy, an additional $2,000 monthly for another part, $1,000 monthly for a third part and $4,000 per month for a fourth part of the deal." After the departure of Ahmed from the hospital in the wake of the vaccine distribution scandal, it is alleged that Suhail directly sent $3,500 to an account controlled by Miller.
Despite the serious nature of the allegations, Miller did not respond to a request for comment last Friday. The Loretto Hospital has been subjected to several overhauls and FBI investigations since the initial reporting by Block Club Chicago and subsequent revelations involving misappropriated vaccines. The steady unraveling of facts has led to the resignation of key figures and the indictment of former executives, putting the hospital's operation and its commitment to serving at-risk populations under scrutiny.
