Jeffrey Mosteller received 19 months to 15 years after pleading no contest to involuntary manslaughter

NEED TO KNOW

• Jeffrey Mosteller was sentenced to 19 months-to-15 years in prison
• He pleaded no contest to involuntary manslaughter in the death of 5-year-old Thomas Cooper
• A judge criticized the former safety director’s failure to address the facility’s lack of grounding straps

The former safety director of a Michigan hyperbaric oxygen therapy facility could spend up to 15 years in prison in connection with the death of a 5-year-old boy.

Jeffrey Mosteller received a sentence of 19 months-to-15 years after pleading no contest to involuntary manslaughter in the death of Thomas Cooper, according to WXYZ and a July statement from Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel’s office.

Thomas was undergoing treatment at the Oxford Center in Troy, Mich., on Jan. 31, 2025, when the hyperbaric chamber caught fire from the inside and exploded, the attorney general’s office said.

The facility did not use grounding straps, which are worn to discharge static electricity and prevent sparks during hyperbaric oxygen therapy, WXYZ reported.

“It was incumbent upon you to say something,” Oakland County Circuit Court Judge Kwamé Rowe told Mosteller during his sentencing.

Mosteller’s attorney, Alona Sharon, said the facility’s practice of not using grounding straps began before her client started working there, but acknowledged that he failed to correct it.

“He is, your honor, someone who made a horrific mistake in this case that caused a tremendous loss for this family,” Sharon said. “He understands the devastating nature of what happened and of his mistake and lapse in judgment.”

Thomas’ family did not attend the sentencing or submit a victim-impact statement. A prosecutor told the court that the tragedy remained too painful for the family to address publicly, according to WXYZ.

Mosteller also declined to address the court.

Nessel’s office said after Mosteller entered his plea in July that safety protocols published by the National Fire Protection Association and the chamber’s manufacturer, Sechrist, had not been followed.

“A young child lost his life in a completely preventable tragedy because this defendant allowed an outdated device to operate in defiance of safety standards,” Nessel said at the time. “While no outcome can reverse this loss, it is my hope that this conviction provides a sense of justice to Thomas’s family.”

Thomas was receiving treatment for sleep apnea and ADHD, his family’s attorney, James Harrington, previously told PEOPLE. Thomas’ mother suffered burns to her arms while trying to rescue him from the fire, Harrington said.

PEOPLE previously reported that Oxford Center CEO Tamela Peterson and operations director Gary Marken were charged with second-degree murder and alternative counts of involuntary manslaughter. Chamber operator Aleta Moffitt was charged with involuntary manslaughter and intentionally placing false information in a medical record.

Their cases remain pending, according to WXYZ. A separate civil case is also pending. A GoFundMe was established by his family to cover funeral and legal costs.

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