FBI Agents Execute Federal Search Warrants At Brighton Rehabilitation And Wellness Center
By: KDKA-TV News Staff
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) -- FBI agents raided Mt. Lebanon Rehabilitation and Wellness Center in Allegheny County and Brighton Rehabilitation and Wellness Center in Beaver County Thursday morning.
The agents executed court-issued federal search warrants at both facilities.
Federal agents arrived at Brighton Rehab and Wellness around 8 a.m.
According to U.S. Attorney Scott Brady, the agents are with FBI, IRS, Health and Human Services and the Pennsylvania Attorney General's Office.
"Today, Special Agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Health and Human Services – Office of Inspector General, Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation, and the Pennsylvania Office of the Attorney General executed court-authorized Federal search warrants at Brighton Rehabilitation and Wellness Center, located at 246 Friendship Circle, Beaver, PA 15009, and at Mount Lebanon Rehabilitation and Wellness Center," said U.S. Attorney Scott Brady in a statement.
The Brighton Township Police chief says he no longer allows his officers to physically respond to calls at Brighton since the outbreak. He says officers take calls over the phone and the department has received the highest number of incident calls from the long-term care facility.
Brighton Rehab is at the center of several investigations. They have all been initiated since the nursing facility became the epicenter of COVID-19 for Beaver County.
After dozens of deaths and hundreds of positive cases, the National Guard was called in for housekeeping tasks.
It would later become the subject of an investigation by the U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar.
That's been followed by several actions, including Rep. Conor Lamb calling for investigations after seeing personal protective equipment, or PPE, wasn't in use and patients were given hydroxychloroquine without the state Health Department signing off on it.
Then, last month, state Attorney General Josh Shapiro announced a criminal investigation looking into neglect of patients.
The Mt. Lebanon Rehab and Wellness Center also had a warrant executed against it today. It made headlines after a KDKA investigation found it was accused of taking residents' stimulus checks.
U.S. Attorney Scott Brady is asking for people with any information on suspected fraud, abuse or victimization related to long-term care and the pandemic to report it to the his COVID-19 Fraud Task force.
To make a report to the Western Pennsylvania COVID-19 Fraud Task Force:
- Western Pennsylvania COVID-19 Fraud Task Force's Toll Free Hotline: 1-888-C19-WDPA or 1-888-219-9372
- Western Pennsylvania COVID-19 Fraud Task Force's email address: usapaw.covid19@usdoj.gov
