Man accused of defrauding Cleveland Clinic receives 5 years

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CLEVELAND (AP) — An Ohio man convicted of defrauding the Cleveland Clinic of $2.7 million has been sentenced to nearly five years in prison.

Cleveland.com reports 44-year-old Wisam Rizk, of Westlake, pleaded guilty last year to conspiracy, wire fraud and false statements. He was sentenced Wednesday.

Prosecutors said Rizk had a $5.6 million contract through a company spun off from Cleveland Clinic to provide a visual medical chart product conceived by Cleveland Clinic doctors. Rizk instead outsourced the work to an Indian company at a substantially lower price.

Rizk was accused of paying more than $460,000 to Gary Fingerhut, the executor director of Cleveland Clinic innovations, to buy his silence. Fingerhut was sentenced last December to 30 months in prison.

Rizk apologized in court. He faces deportation to Austria after completing his sentence.

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Information from: cleveland.com, http://www.cleveland.com

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