Ex-Outcome Health Analyst Sentenced to Probation for Fraud Scheme

Kathryn Choi, a former analyst at Outcome Health, has been sentenced to three years of probation and 200 hours of community service. This comes after she admitted her role in a massive fraud scheme at the Chicago-based company. Prosecutors claim the scheme, worth over $1 billion, involved lying about the number of doctors' offices running their ads and overcharging pharmaceutical companies. Choi is the fifth Outcome Health employee to face sentencing. She pleaded guilty in 2020 and cooperated with investigators, which likely influenced her lenient sentence. The company, now under scrutiny, sold ads to pharmaceutical firms, displaying them on screens in doctors' offices. However, executives lied about the reach and inflated revenue figures to attract investors.Recently, co-founder and CEO Rishi Shah was sentenced to 7 ½ years in prison, while former president Shradha Agarwal received three years in a halfway house. COO and CFO Brad Purdy got 27 months, and another executive, Ashik Desai, received seven months. Desai, who was Choi's boss, directed her to fabricate numbers. Choi's attorney noted she was following her boss's directions and company practices. She has since cooperated with authorities and rebuilt her career. Another former analyst, Oliver Han, is due for sentencing soon. This case raises important questions about ethical practices in the workplace and the pressure young employees might face to follow unethical directives.