Ex-MetroHealth COO Edward Hills Busted in $300K Bribe Ring

Edward R. Hills, 56, of Aurora, the former Chief Operating Officer of MetroHealth Hospital System, is at the center of a 33-count federal indictment detailing a years-long bribery and kickback scheme that gutted the public hospital’s dental program for personal gain. Hills, along with three co-defendants—dentists Sari Alqsous, 32, of Cleveland; Yazan B. Al-Madani, 32, of Westlake; and Tariq Sayegh, 38, of Cleveland—stands accused of defrauding MetroHealth through a web of corruption stretching back to 2008.

Hills, who also served as Director of MetroHealth Dental and briefly as interim President and CEO from December 2012 to July 2013, allegedly used his authority to enrich himself and his co-conspirators. In exchange for cash, checks, a $3,879 Louis Vuitton briefcase, a 55-inch television, airline flights, and access to a downtown Cleveland apartment, Hills permitted Alqsous and Al-Madani to operate private dental businesses during paid work hours—on MetroHealth’s dime. The indictment reveals Hills even directed Alqsous to keep paying rent on an apartment he no longer lived in—so Hills could use it for personal and associate housing in 2013 and 2014.

Text messages cited in the indictment expose the brazen nature of the scheme. In October 2013, Alqsous texted Al-Madani and another individual: “With 22nd of October approaching we ll be celebrating Dr hills bday earlier this year…1000 dollars each is the gift from the 3 sons their father.” That same day, $3,000 was deposited into Hills’ bank account. Multiple other deposits followed, often after meetings at high-end restaurants where bribes changed hands under the table.

The RICO conspiracy charge spans 2008 to the present and includes witness tampering, fraud, and extortion targeting dental residents applying to MetroHealth’s programs. FBI Special Agent Stephen D. Anthony called the conduct “a betrayal of trust,” noting that young doctors were effectively extorted as part of the scheme. “MetroHealth officials discovered possible wrongdoing, contacted the FBI, and partnered with us to ensure accountability,” Anthony said.

IRS Criminal Investigation’s Kathy A. Enstrom emphasized that taxpayer-funded programs were hijacked as “personal piggy banks.” “These individuals defrauded programs meant to help the men, women, and children of Cuyahoga County,” she said. U.S. Attorney Carole S. Rendon added, “We will remain vigilant in stamping out public corruption.” Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine condemned the group’s “greed,” stating they manipulated the health care system to line their pockets.

The indictment, unsealed in U.S. District Court, lays bare a culture of entitlement and exploitation at one of Northeast Ohio’s most trusted health institutions. Hills, Alqsous, Al-Madani, and Sayegh now face federal charges that could result in decades behind bars. As the case moves forward, questions loom about oversight failures that allowed such a scheme to fester for years under the hospital’s roof.