CFO of Company Tied to Pacific Hospital Kickback Scheme Sentenced to 15 Months

Federal prosecutors said an accountant who enabled the owner of Pacific Hospital of Long Beach to pay more than $40 million in kickbacks to providers who referred thousands of comp patients for spinal surgeries was sentenced to 15 months in prison for a tax offense. George William Hammer, 69, was sentenced Friday. In addition to the prison term, he was fined $8,000 and ordered to forfeit $500,000 in criminal proceeds. Hammer pleaded guilty in 2018 to one count of aiding the preparation of a false tax return. Hammer was CFO for Pacific Specialty Physician Management, which entered into contra...