Prosecutors may need a bed sheet from the VA medical center where Cathedral Henderson once worked to keep track of the mounting charges against him.
Henderson, a former manager at the Charlie Norwood VA Medical Center in Augusta, Georgia, was charged in early July with 50 counts of lying to investigators about his alleged role in a record-changing scheme.
It was Henderson’s responsibility to ensure “that more than 2,700 veterans awaiting approval for care outside the system were properly referred to for doctor’s appointments,” the Washington Post reports.
Henderson, who is on leave with pay pending the outcome of the court process, is accused of “ordering his staff to falsify medical records of veterans waiting for outside medical care.”
He was released on $15,000 bond.
Now, prosecutors say they’re adding to those charges after they allege Henderson contacted a potential witness for the prosecution’s case, according to the Augusta Chronicle, and engaged in possible witness tampering.
His bond was revoked and has since been jailed.
The former VA manager was charged July 8 and all told, they’re punishable by a maximum sentence of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
“My client has always done his job to the best of his ability,” Henderson’s attorney, Keith Johnson, tells the Los Angeles Times. “In essence, he is a soldier and he’s always wanted to help soldiers.… He has had an impeccable working career as a soldier and at the VA since 1992, so we ask everyone to withhold judgment.”
The charges against Henderson are the first after the scandal engulfed several VA medical centers around the country in 2014.
The U.S. Department of Justice refuses to say whether other charges will be forthcoming.
One of the worst cases occurred in Phoenix, where 18 veterans allegedly died after delays in treatment resulting from “secret waiting lists,” according to the Times.
The VA has fired 1,755 employees and pursued disciplinary action against 187 more since the scandal, department spokeswoman Walinda West says.
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