WHEELER COUNTY, Ga. — A man who once led a Wheeler County hospital admitted to stealing money from his employees, pleading guilty earlier this month after striking a deal with prosecutors.
Norman King, who lives in Houston County, owned Lower Oconee Community Hospital County in Wheeler County. But in June 2014, the hospital closed for good.
However, the very month before the hospital shuttered, King’s indictment alleges that he stole from 44 of his employees and "in breach of his fiduciary obligation" as the hospital's CEO.
According to the Georgia Insurance Commissioner's Office, King allegedly siphoned funds intended for employees' health insurance premiums, only making partial payments and pocketing the rest.
On Aug. 12, King pleaded guilty to one count of theft in exchange for the 43 other counts not being prosecuted.
While sentenced to 10 years, his plea deal allows King to avoid serving any prison time, instead serving his sentence on probation. If he follows the terms of his probation, he won’t ever have to step foot inside a Georgia prison.
In the indictment, all the thefts – which stemmed from his role as CEO of the hospital – took place between May 1 and May 31, 2014. The next month, the hospital was shuttered for good.
Within 90 days, a hearing will be scheduled to determine how much money King has to pay back to his victims. Oconee District Attorney Tim Vaughn says his office is working with victims to determine the amount they will seek to recover from King.
Based on previous reporting, the hospital once employed 100 people.
