Former exec charged with bilking CHOP of $1.7 million

Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia’s former general counsel has been charged with embezzling $1.7 million from the hospital.

Charges filed by the U.S. attorney’s office in Philadelphia Thursday accuse Roosevelt Hairston Jr. of mail fraud, money laundering and tax fraud.

The charges allege that between 1999 and this year, Hairston submitted dozens of fake invoices to the hospital from front companies he made up to steal money.

Authorities also say he made up e-mail addresses and stole the identity of a friend in an attempt to cover up his activities.

CHOP fired Hairston in February and after it discovered financial irregularities in connection with Hairston, who was also an executive vice president. In a statement, hospital CEO Dr. Steven Altschuler said the hospital is “continually reviewing our internal control structure to ensure the proper safeguarding of the institution’s assets.”