April 01--A former supervisor for Provident Hospital of Cook County was accused of stealing thousands of dollars the hospital collected from patients, authorities said Wednesday.
Donald McDaniels, 49, was charged with official misconduct and theft of governmental funds, both felonies, in a scheme that allegedly went on while he collected patient co-pays or deductibles for medications at the South Side hospital.
The offices of the inspector general and state's attorney investigated McDaniels but could not determine how much he stole from the hospital. Prosecutors said they suspect he had been taking money for at least two years.
In March 2012, a cashier who reported to McDaniels complained to another employee that $1,000 in cash receipts had been stolen. The cashier filed a complaint with the inspector general's office.
According to prosecutors, a financial audit of McDaniels' department showed that from December 2011 through January 2014, average monthly bank deposits fell from $24,087 in May 2012 to $20,012 in January 2014, prosecutors said.
The inspector general's office also hid a camera in McDaniels' office for nearly four months to monitor his behavior. He was seen on the video taking money from the cash collections and placing it in his pocket on two dozen occasions, prosecutors said.
On Wednesday, McDaniels, of Matteson, was ordered held in lieu of $20,000 bail by Judge Laura Sullivan.
After the five-minute hearing Wednesday, McDaniels' lawyer, Tim Grace, said his client told him the charges are a misunderstanding.
jgorner@tribpub.com
@JeremyGorner
