No criminal charges for ex-MetroHealth CEO Dr. Akram Boutros, prosecutor says

CLEVELAND, Ohio — The Cuyahoga County Prosecutor's Office will not pursue criminal charges against former MetroHealth CEO Dr. Akram Boutros for receiving bonuses totaling $1.9 million, a spokeswoman said. The hospital's board of trustees maintains that the bonuses were unauthorized.

The prosecutor's office made the determination after reviewing Tuesday's state auditor office's investigation into whether the board approved the bonuses. The state auditor report, requested by the prosecutor's office about two years ago, was inconclusive on the question of whether the bonuses were unauthorized.

At the same time, the report released Tuesday from the auditor's office said the MetroHealth board did not effectively oversee the payments, and said that Boutros' acceptance of bonus payments was not criminal.

"Based on the report's findings and conclusions, the evidence is insufficient to prove criminal conduct and thus criminal charges will not be forthcoming," the prosecutor's office said in a statement.

The board fired Boutros on Nov. 21, 2022, after it accused him of paying himself $1.9 million in unauthorized bonuses without the board's knowledge or consent. Boutros said the payments were authorized and filed two suits against the board, one of which was dismissed and one in which he withdrew. He also returned the $1.9 million, plus interest.

The auditor's investigation was unable to determine if Boutros had proper authorization to receive the supplemental and one-time bonus payments, due to "reasonable doubt based on the information gathered," according to a report.

The special audit and investigation also found that the board did not effectively oversee the CEO's compensation, the report said.

Read ongoing coverage of the Dr. Akram Boutros investigation of MetroHealth bonuses at this link.

Julie Washington covers healthcare for cleveland.com. Read previous stories at this link.