Man admits trying to extort $500,000 from hospital

[Guest guest]

Man admits trying to extort $500,000 from hospital

San Mercury News - CA*

The Associated Press

Article Launched: 08/25/2008

http://www.mercurynews.com/breakingnews/ci_10300428

LOS ANGELES—A man hired to help clean up mold at a Ventura County

hospital pleaded guilty Monday in federal court to threatening to

publicize the mold problem if he was not paid $500,000.

Burroughs, 30, faces two years in prison for sending a

threatening e-mail in 2005 to the parent company of Saint 's

Regional Medical Center in Oxnard.

The 265-bed hospital had struggled with mold because of a

construction problem that allowed water into the walls, and

Burroughs' work was part of a number of efforts to clean up the mold

over six years. In 2007, St. 's was closed for 10 days and

underwent a $24 million fumigation.

Suanne Buggy, a spokeswoman for the state health department, said

her agency is not aware of any mold problems at the hospital since

last year.

A call seeking comment from the hospital was not immediately

returned Monday afternoon.

Kim Savo, Burroughs's attorney, said the case involved a disgruntled

employee and should not have been brought to federal court.

Burroughs is scheduled to be sentenced Nov. 3.

[Guest guest]

_http://www.mercurynhttp://www.mercuhttp://www.mercu_

(http://www.mercurynews.com/breakingnews/ci_10300428)

To the Editor,

According to the August 25th article, " Man admits trying to extort $500,000

from hospital " , a mold remediator attempted to extort hush money from Saint

's Regional Medical Center in Oxnard. The hush money was for the intended

purpose of not informing the public about the excessive mold within the

hospital. It is common knowledge that people who are among the most at risk from

atypical mold exposure are those who are hospitalized for illnesses or

surgeries. As such, the article seems glaringly incomplete as to what occurred

at

this hospital that would cause one to think that someone could be extorted.

So my questions are: Why would this man feel he could possibly extort

$500,000 for going public with a known health hazard in the Saint 's

Regional

Medical Center in Oxnard? Was there something Saint 's governing body did

not want their patients to know? Is it possible there were actually two

crimes that occurred and should have been brought out in this story? Is there an

elephant sitting in your newsroom?

Personally, I would like to see the Mercury News delve a bit deeper into this

story. I would like to know what this mold remediator felt would be worth

$500,000 to the hospital to have kept quiet. I would like to know if there are

those who suffered severe injury or even wrongful death from the secondary

exposure to atypical mold at Saint 's Regional Medical Center in Oxnard. I

would like to know if there were any settlements reached with injuried

parties that contained confidentiality clauses on the amount of settlement or

acknowledgement of wrong doing...aka....I would like to know if there was any

hush money paid to injured parties.

Sincerely, Sharon Kramer 2031 Arborwood Place Escondido, CA 92029

PS Guys. Jury still out!

**************It's only a deal if it's where you want to go. Find your travel

deal here.

(http://information.travel.aol.com/deals?ncid=aoltrv00050000000047)

[Guest guest]

thats interesting, so I take it that they were trying to keep it

secret, wonder why?

--- In , " tigerpaw2c " <tigerpaw2c@...>

wrote:

>

> Man admits trying to extort $500,000 from hospital

> San Mercury News - CA*

> The Associated Press

> Article Launched: 08/25/2008

>

> http://www.mercurynews.com/breakingnews/ci_10300428

[Guest guest]

I thought we would eventually hear about this hospital again. Wonder if

the fumigation worked.

--- In , " tigerpaw2c " <tigerpaw2c@...>

wrote:

>

> Man admits trying to extort $500,000 from hospital

> San Mercury News - CA*

> The Associated Press

> Article Launched: 08/25/2008

>

> http://www.mercurynews.com/breakingnews/ci_10300428

[Guest guest]

If you do a search for the original story..... you'll read where they

did remediation just as a precautionary measure.... they stated that

no person had become ill form their years of known mold problems.

When I told My employer what type of Mold the tape lift revealed,

they denied my illness, and denied my co-workers deaths, but

immediately afterwards, replaced ductwork on the top of the hospital.

Who knows what they did inside??? But, I've heard people are still

getting sick. I suggest if you want to keep your health maintained,

don't walk into THAT HMO!

>

>

> _http://www.mercurynhttp://www.mercuhttp://www.mercu_

> (http://www.mercurynews.com/breakingnews/ci_10300428)

> To the Editor,

> According to the August 25th article, " Man admits trying to extort

$500,000

> from hospital " , a mold remediator attempted to extort hush money

from Saint

> 's Regional Medical Center in Oxnard. The hush money was for

the intended

> purpose of not informing the public about the excessive mold within

the

> hospital. It is common knowledge that people who are among the most

at risk from

> atypical mold exposure are those who are hospitalized for illnesses

or

> surgeries. As such, the article seems glaringly incomplete as to

what occurred at

> this hospital that would cause one to think that someone could be

extorted.

> So my questions are: Why would this man feel he could possibly

extort

> $500,000 for going public with a known health hazard in the Saint

's Regional

> Medical Center in Oxnard? Was there something Saint 's

governing body did

> not want their patients to know? Is it possible there were actually

two

> crimes that occurred and should have been brought out in this

story? Is there an

> elephant sitting in your newsroom?

> Personally, I would like to see the Mercury News delve a bit deeper

into this

> story. I would like to know what this mold remediator felt would

be worth

> $500,000 to the hospital to have kept quiet. I would like to know

if there are

> those who suffered severe injury or even wrongful death from the

secondary

> exposure to atypical mold at Saint 's Regional Medical Center

in Oxnard. I

> would like to know if there were any settlements reached with

injuried

> parties that contained confidentiality clauses on the amount of

settlement or

> acknowledgement of wrong doing...aka....I would like to know if

there was any

> hush money paid to injured parties.

> Sincerely, Sharon Kramer 2031 Arborwood Place Escondido, CA 92029

> PS Guys. Jury still out!

>

>

>

> **************It's only a deal if it's where you want to go. Find

your travel

> deal here.

> (http://information.travel.aol.com/deals?ncid=aoltrv00050000000047)

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

That is the same hospital with the chlorine dioxide controversy..

I don't know if the problems continue.

From what I heard, the original structural problem is what caused mold

to grow..and Dr. Straus's research showed

conclusively that chlorine dioxide fumigation does not eliminate the toxicity.

That person should not have tried to extort money.

If the issues were not being addressed, he should have told the media,

and the employees, period.

Then its not extortion.. its being responsible.

[Guest guest]

None of count, even if we were dead, the coroner would NOT say " mold did it " .

Thats the way things seem to work.. Nomatter how much the facts seem

to imply it,

telling this truth seems clearly verboten.

On Tue, Aug 26, 2008 at 6:22 PM, happyruiam <happyru@...> wrote:

> If you do a search for the original story..... you'll read where they

> did remediation just as a precautionary measure.... they stated that

> no person had become ill form their years of known mold problems.

> When I told My employer what type of Mold the tape lift revealed,

> they denied my illness, and denied my co-workers deaths, but

> immediately afterwards, replaced ductwork on the top of the hospital.

> Who knows what they did inside??? But, I've heard people are still

> getting sick. I suggest if you want to keep your health maintained,

> don't walk into THAT HMO!

>