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ConvictedformerMetroHealthofficialgetting
disabilitybenefits
[http://connect.cleveland.com/user/pkrouse/index.html]ByPeterKrouse,NortheastOhioMediaGroup
[http://connect.cleveland.com/user/pkrouse/posts.html]
Emailtheauthor|FollowonTwitter[https://twitter.com/PeterKrouse]
onJanuary15,2013at8:00PM,updatedJanuary15,2013at8:02PM

ThomasGreco,thecorruptformerconstructionmanageratMetroHealthMedicalCenter,hassoughtandbeengranted
disabilitybenefitsfromthestatepensionfund,courtrecordsshow.
TheOhioPublicEmployeesRetirementSystemhasapprovedGrecofornearly$,4,000amonthinbenefitsretroactiveto
February2009fourmonthsafterFBIandIRSagentsraidedhisMetroHealthoffice.
Butafederaljudgethismonthorderedthe$145,812accumulatedthroughApril2012beappliedtonearly$1millioninrestitution
owedbyGrecoaspartofhissubsequentconvictiononcorruptionrelatedcharges.Grecoalsomustforfeit25percentofall
futurebenefits.
The58yearoldStrongsvilleresidentisservingaprisontermofnineyearsandfourmonthsforacceptingbribesinexchangefor
helpingacontractorobtain$51millioninbusinesswiththetaxpayersubsidizedhospital.
HeisatleastthesecondcrookcaughtupinCuyahogaCounty'scorruptionscandaltogoondisability.
Justweeksafterpleadingguiltyin2009
[http://blog.cleveland.com/metro/2009/07/kelley_pleads_guilty_to_11_cha.html]tofleecingcountytaxpayersoutof
morethan$570,000inbriberyscams,formercountyemployeeJ.KevinKelleywasgrantedbenefits.
[http://blog.cleveland.com/metro/2009/09/j_kevin_kelley_went_on_disabil.html]Kelleyiscollectingpensionand
disabilitytotalingasmuchas$70,000ayear.
Theideaoffelons,whohavestolenfromthegovernment,receivingtaxpayersubsidizeddisabilitybenefitsbothersmanypeople,
saidCatherineTurcer,campaignmanagerforgoodgovernmentadvocateCommonCauseOhio.
"Oneofthethingsthatisreallyhardforalotofworkersiswatchingpeopleengageinmisdeedssomehowgetsomebenefitsfrom
thegovernment,"Turcersaid."It'sjustirritating."
Turcersaidshedoesn'tbegrudgeGrecocollectingsomeofthemoneyhepaidintothesystem.Butshesaidheshouldnot
benefitfromcontributionsmadebyMetroHealth,whichispartiallyfundedbycountytaxdollarstohelpcareforinsuredpatients.
Greco'sattorney,LawrenceWhitney,saidTuesdayhecouldnotrecallGreco'sdisability.OneofGreco'striallawyers,John
Ricotta,saidhewasn'tawareofanydisability.
AspokeswomanfortheOhioPublicEmployeeRetirementSystemwouldonlyconfirmthatGrecoisreceivingdisabilitybenefits.
Privacylawsprohibitthestatefromdisclosingdisabilities,includingwhethertheyarephysicalormental.

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WhitneysaidGreco'swifewillusethepayments,$3,000amonthafterthe25percentcutforrestitution,tocoverherliving
expenses.
Grecowasfoundguiltyin2010[http://blog.cleveland.com/metro/2010/06/exmetrohealth_official_thomas.html]of
conspiringwithhisbossJohnCarrolltobribeEastWestConstructionexecutiveNileshPatelinreturnforbusinesswith
MetroHealth.
CarrollandGrecohelpedEastWestbidonprojects,andGrecoinflatedthevalueofprojectstorepayPatelforthebribes.
CarrollandPatelpleadedguiltytotheircrimesandarebothinprison.Grecotriedhiscasebeforeajuryandwasfoundguilty.His
sentenceincludedanordertopay$994,734.84inrestitutiontoMetroHealth,withCarrollandPatelalsoresponsiblefor
$350,000ofthatamount.

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OPERS,otherpublicpensionfundsto
putexpendituresonline

[http://www.cleveland.com/open/index.ssf/2015/12/opers_pension
[http://www.cleveland.com/akron/index.ssf/2015/12/men_accused_of_bribing_summit.html#incart_related_stories]

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