Former Director of Phoenix VA Hospital Sentenced (wristslap for unreported gifts)

https://www.justice.gov/usao-az/pr/former-director-phoenix-va-hospital-sentenced

Department of Justice
U.S. Attorney’s Office
District of Arizona

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Monday, May 16, 2016

Former Director of Phoenix VA Hospital Sentenced

PHOENIX – Today, Sharon M. Helman, 45, of Surprise, Ariz., was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Steven P. Logan to a term of two years’ probation. Helman previously pleaded guilty to making a false statement to a government agency, a felony offense.

Helman was director of the Phoenix VA hospital from February 2012 to December 2014. Federal law required Helman to annually complete and file a financial disclosure report and to disclose, among many other things, gifts received during the applicable calendar year. In March 2014, Helman submitted a financial disclosure in which she falsely reported that she received no gifts during 2013. That report was false because during 2013 Helman had, in fact, received gifts totaling more than $19,300. The gifts included an automobile, a check for $5,000, concert tickets, and two round-trip airline tickets.

Helman also filed a false report for 2012, failing to report four gifts of a total value of more than $2,000. Furthermore, although she did not file a financial disclosure report for 2014, Helman received six gifts valued at more than $27,700 between January 2 and July 1 of that year.

All of the gifts were from a former high-level VA employee who once served as Helman’s supervisor. During 2012-2014, that person was an executive consultant, and later vice president, of a consulting and lobbying firm that assisted companies in expanding their business with the VA. Had Helman properly reported the gifts and their source, the VA would have done a conflict-of-interest analysis to determine whether her acceptance of the gifts was permitted under applicable laws and regulations.
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