Rehab Mogul Will Stand Trial In $176M Fraud Case

Self-titled “Rehab Mogul” Christopher Bathum will stand trial on charges of fraudulently billing companies $176 million, one of the largest criminal cases against an addiction facility in state history, a judge ruled Tuesday. Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Michael Pastor ruled there was enough evidence after a preliminary hearing to send Bathum and his finance officer Kirsten Wallace to trial on nearly 50 charges of grand theft, identity theft and money laundering involving Community Recovery of Los Angeles. Bathum, 55, operated more than a dozen homes in Los Angeles and Orange counties as well as in Colorado.