Ex-hospital CEO accused of funneling $14M for lavish lifestyle, sons $109K Beverly Hills baptism
A former hospital executive siphoned at least $14 million from a health system and used company money to bankroll a lavish lifestyle that included a $109,000 Beverly Hills baptism celebration for his son, according to a bombshell lawsuit.Michael Sarian, the ousted founder and former CEO of Healthcare Systems of America, was accused of diverting millions of dollars from hospitals in Florida and other states into personal accounts, family trusts and other unauthorized uses while the facilities struggled to pay bills and maintain operations.The lawsuit, which was first reported by the Miami Herald, alleges Sarian treated company accounts as his personal piggy bank, funneling millions out of the health system between September 2024 and January 2026.Among the most eye-popping allegations is a claim that more than $109,000 was wired from a Healthcare Systems of America corporate account to the Four Seasons Hotel in Beverly Hills for Sarian’s son’s baptism celebration.The filing includes a social-media post allegedly showing the event, as well as banking records identifying a baptism as the purpose of the transfer.The suit also alleges Sarian forged — or directed someone else to forge — an employee’s signature to divert another $120,000.Sarian has denied wrongdoing.He and his wife, Evelina, have argued that the baptism payment was an authorized repayment of money he previously advanced to help cover hospital payroll and have characterized the allegations as part of an effort to seize control of the company.The legal fight is the latest twist in a bitter legal battle for control of a hospital network that operates Palmetto General Hospital, Coral Gables Hospital, Hialeah Hospital, North Shore Medical Center and Florida Medical Center.According to the complaint, Sarian’s transfers contributed to severe financial strain across the system, impairing its ability to meet payroll, pay vendors, compensate physicians and satisfy other operating obligations.The lawsuit c...