Associated Press - May 12, 2009 5:15 PM ET

MONTPELIER, Vt. (AP) - Federal prosecutors say a VA hospital psychiatrist deposited $567,000 left over from contracts into an account in his name.

A lawyer for Dr. William Weeks, of Lyme, N.H., says he did nothing wrong and returned the money to the government.

Weeks is accused of having a conflict of interest in five contracts between the White River Junction hospital and Dartmouth College, while he acted as both a VA representative responsible for approving payments to Dartmouth and as Dartmouth's principal investigator, performing work on the contracts.

The US Attorney's office says he sought $1.1 million in work from the VA for Dartmouth, and then did the work for less by hiring fewer people, at lower rates.

Weeks is suing the government.

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