Ex-New York med school president pleads guilty to illegally padding salary

Alyssa Rege -

The former president of SUNY Upstate Medical University pleaded guilty Sept. 24 to abusing his leadership role by illegally padding his annual salary, according to the timesunion.

Here are four things to know:

1. David Smith, PhD, who served as president of the institution from 2006 to 2013, pleaded guilty to three counts of official misconduct. The charges against him included boosting his annual $360,000 salary through a $28,450 pay raise in 2007. The proceeds he obtained from the raise through the date of his resignation amounted to roughly $189,412 in additional salary he would not have otherwise earned, NBC 4 New York reports. He also reportedly used unauthorized expenses to increase his $5,000-per-month housing allowance, according to the timesunion.

2. Dr. Smith also admitted to setting up a deferred compensation plan for himself and others from MedBest Medical Management, a company that provided billing services to SUNY Upstate's affiliated hospital and its physicians, the timesunion reports.

3. Dr. Smith's guilty plea on Sept. 24 ended a five-year investigation into him and his dealings. The plea also came as the Onondaga County District Attorney's Office confirmed it has launched an investigation into SUNY Upstate Medical University's hiring decisions, severance packages and construction projects — including the severance package awarded to former SUNY Upstate Medical University Hospital CEO John McCabe, MD, who was allegedly paid $660,500 to "disappear."

4. As part of the plea deal, Mr. Smith agreed to pay $250,000 in restitution and fines.

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