Reditus Labs CEO Aaron Rossi has issued his first public statement since he was indicted on tax fraud charges and later stripped of any financial control of the company that made hundreds of millions of dollars through coronavirus testing.
Rossi was removed from any control of Reditus’ business affairs last week when a Tazewell County judge approved a receivership for the Pekin company. That receivership request came from civil lawsuits Rossi faces from business partners.
“It’s clear unfortunately, that there’s a coordinated campaign of sorts underway to destroy Dr. Rossi’s reputation and to dismantle the work he’s done for the community,” said Rossi spokesperson Natalie Bauer Luce, executive vice president of Colloton + Bauer Luce. The company’s website said the firm specializes in corporate reputation, issues management, and crisis communications.
Luce would not elaborate on who may be involved in the coordinated campaign. She described the allegations as "egregious and outrageous."
Court filings in the case accuse Rossi of extravagant personal spending of Reditus funds and threats of retaliation against employees who came forward with information against him, among other allegations.
Rossi, 39, of Bloomington, also is accused in a criminal proceeding of underreporting his income to the IRS from 2015 to 2017, prior to his work at Reditus. Rossi also may face disciplinary action from the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation (IDFPR), the agency that handles all professional licensing the state.
In a complaint, Rossi is accused of prescribing medications on multiple occasions without authorization while he worked for an orthopedic surgeon in Bloomington. Rossi’s license as a registered surgical assistant is due to expire on May 31, according to the agency’s website.
Luce credited Rossi for his work to create businesses and hundreds of jobs in the Pekin area and to provide coronavirus testing for the state throughout the pandemic.
“Dr. Rossi is proud of his record and his contributions to the community, and he certainly looks forward to defending himself and fighting these unfounded claims,” Luce said.
The next pretrial ruling in the case could come on May 2 when Judge Chris Doscotch is expected to decide whether to grant the media access to key evidence in the case that has been under seal.
Luce said she did not have any information as to whether Rossi’s role at Reditus has changed since it entered the receivership.
Rossi is due back in federal court for a pretrial conference on May 17 in Davenport, Iowa. The trial is scheduled to begin June 6.
Luce would not say whether Rossi plans to testify in his own defense during the trial.
