WASHINGTON, Nov. 4 (UPI) -- Richard Scrushy, a former chief executive officer and chairman of the board of HealthSouth Corp., has been charged in an 85-count indictment, the Justice Department said Tuesday.
The indictment stems from a wide-ranging scheme to defraud investors, the public and the U.S. government about HealthSouth's financial condition, the government alleged.
Scrushy, 51, of Birmingham, Ala., surrendered at FBI Headquarters in Birmingham.
The indictment was returned by a federal grand jury in Birmingham last Wednesday and unsealed Tuesday morning.
The indictment also seeks the forfeiture of more than $278.7 million in property which Scrushy derived from proceeds of the alleged offenses, the government said.
HealthSouth is the nation's largest provider of outpatient surgery, diagnostic imaging and rehabilitative healthcare services, with 1,800 locations in all 50 states.
The indictment alleges that Scrushy caused HealthSouth to falsify financial statements, making the company appear more successful than it actually was.
