FBI investigating embattled Brighton Rehab nursing home in Beaver County
Investigators with the FBI served search warrants Thursday morning at Brighton Rehabilitation and Wellness Center, the Beaver County nursing home that was the site of one of the nation’s deadliest covid-19 outbreaks.
U.S. Attorney Scott Brady confirmed the FBI executed court-authorized warrants at Brighton Rehab as well as Mount Lebanon Rehabilitation and Wellness Center on Old Gilkeson Road, which has some of the same owners as Brighton Rehab.
In a statement, Brady said special agents with the FBI served the warrants in collaboration with the Health and Human Services division of the Office of Inspector General, the criminal investigation unit at the IRS and the Pennsylvania Attorney General’s Office. Brady’s office declined to elaborate on the warrants and any materials sought or seized during the investigation.
Neither nursing home’s management could immediately be reached for comment.
A statement emailed Thursday afternoon by the public relations firm that represents Brighton Rehab said, “We are unable to comment on any ongoing government actions.”
The statement was attributed to “Facility Management.”
Two of Brighton Rehab’s owners — Sam Halper of Pittsburgh and Ephram Lahasky of New York — own shares of the Mt. Lebanon nursing home, which is owned by Mt. Lebanon Operations LLC, federal records show.
At least 73 residents and a housekeeper at Brighton Rehab have died of covid-19, and more than 300 residents and staff have been infected since March, according to state and court records.
A Tribune-Review investigation into Brighton Rehab published Aug. 9 recounted a litany of infection control and other deficiencies and violations that happened during the pandemic, as well as others that have persisted for years.
The Trib found those problems were exacerbated by a lack of communication, transparency and oversight from hard-to-find owners and by ongoing attempts to silence nursing home employees as well as residents and their family members from voicing concerns.
Three days later, Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro told the Trib his office had launched a criminal investigation into Brighton Rehab, saying he was “deeply troubled” by reports of conditions and practices at the nursing home about 35 miles northwest of Pittsburgh. The office’s Medicaid Fraud Control Section also is looking into several other nursing homes around the state that have not yet been disclosed.
U.S. Sen. Pat Toomey, R-Lehigh Valley, issued a statement Thursday reiterating he had “previously requested that federal regulators examine the handling of the outbreak at Brighton.”
“He has full confidence that U.S. Attorney Scott Brady will lead a fair and thorough investigation,” a Toomey spokesperson said by email.
U.S. Sen. Bob Casey, D-Scranton, has joined with Toomey in calling for federal scrutiny of Brighton Rehab. The pair has been pressuring Health Secretary Alex Azar to take immediate action regarding nursing homes facing crises nationwide. They are pushing bipartisan legislation to protect residents and workers at nursing homes, increase targeted aid to the places that need it most and improve transparency and oversight of the industry.
U.S. Rep. Conor Lamb, D-Mt. Lebanon, called for a separate investigation into how the state Department of Health oversaw Brighton Rehab during the coronavirus pandemic.
Among other issues, the state health department reported Brighton Rehab did not obtain the required approval to administer hydroxychloroquine to 205 residents.
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services conducted its own investigation of Brighton Rehab and sent investigators to the facility in May. The results of that investigation have not been made public.
RELATED: U.S. Health Secretary says feds investigating Brighton nursing home coronavirus outbreak
Brady asked anyone with information related to “suspected fraud, abuse or victimization related to long-term care facilities and the coronavirus pandemic” to file a report with the Western Pennsylvania COVID-19 Fraud Task Force.
Reports can be filed by calling 1-888-219-9372 or emailing usapaw.covid19@usdoj.gov.
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