Jury Finds DaVita, Former CEO Not Guilty On Federal Criminal Charges

DENVER (CEO) - DaVita Inc. and its former CEO Kent Thiry have been found not guilty on all charges associated with federal criminal charges. They were indicted last year on two counts for conspiring with competing employers not to solicit each others' employees, suppressing competition and limiting opportunities for workers.

The indictment alleged that DaVita and Thiry both participated in two separate conspiracies to suppress competition.

Prosecutors argued that DaVita and Thiry conspired with Surgical Care Affiliates LLC to not solicit each other's senior-level employees from as early as February 2012 until as late as July 2017 and that DaVita and Thiry for conspiring with another health care company that agreed it would not solicit DaVita's employees, from as early as April 2017 until as late as June 2019.

Jurors returned a not guilty verdict on April 15.

DaVita owns and operates outpatient medical care centers across the country, focusing on dialysis and kidney care.