Owner of Michigan facility where boy died in hyperbaric chamber charged with health care fraud

Kara Berg, The Detroit News on Jan 20, 2026

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DETROIT — The owner of the Oxford Centers in Brighton and Troy, who is already facing a second-degree murder charge after a 5-year-old boy died in one of her hyperbaric chambers, has now been charged with nine counts of health care fraud.

Tamela Peterson, 59, of Brighton, was arraigned Tuesday in 53rd District Court in Howell on nine counts of health care fraud, which is punishable by up to four years in prison.

Peterson, the owner and CEO of the Oxford Recovery Center in Brighton and The Oxford Center in Troy, is accused of billing for services that were not rendered to patients, according to the Michigan Attorney General's Office. Attorney General Dana Nessel's office has been investigating these alleged practices since September 2022; nearly two and a half years before 5-year-old Thomas Cooper died from an explosion in the hyperbaric chamber he was receiving treatment in at the Troy location in January 2025.

“Filing false claims impacts not only patients and providers, but also contributes to increased costs of healthcare and medical insurance for everybody,” Nessel said in a Tuesday statement. “Health care fraud undermines the trust between patients and providers and patients’ notions of confidentiality and care. My office will continue to hold accountable those who take advantage of their practice for their own financial benefit.”

Peterson's attorney was not immediately available for comment.

Peterson and three other Oxford Center employees — manager Gary Marken, safety director Jeffrey Mosteller and chamber operator Aleta Moffitt — were charged in connection with Thomas's death. Peterson, Marken and Mosteller are charged with second-degree murder and involuntary manslaughter, while Moffitt is charged with involuntary manslaughter and intentionally placing false information on a medical record.

An involuntary manslaughter conviction is punishable by up to 15 years in prison.

Arguments about whether enough evidence exists to send the case against the four to trial are going on Tuesday afternoon.

Peterson was arrested in September for violating her bond conditions in the Troy case by selling a firearm that she had possessed rather than surrendering it to the court as she was required to do.

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