Jeffrey Mosteller, 66, was sentenced to 19 months in prison for his role in the death of 5-year-old Thomas Cooper, who died in a hyperbaric oxygen chamber fire at an alternative health care center in Michigan last year. The incident occurred while Cooper was undergoing treatment for sleep apnea and ADHD. Prosecutors accused Mosteller, the safety manager at the Oxford Center, of deliberately disregarding safety protocols. Mosteller pleaded no contest to involuntary manslaughter, avoiding a maximum penalty of 15 years behind bars.
Written by the local model on 2026-09-04,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
same event (that is the story summary below).
Story summary
Jeffrey Mosteller, the 66-year-old safety manager at the Oxford Center in Michigan, was sentenced to 19 months in prison for his role in the death of 5-year-old Thomas Cooper. The boy died in January 2025 after a hyperbaric oxygen chamber caught fire and exploded while he was undergoing treatment for sleep apnea and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) at the center, which uses alternative health care methods to treat children with various conditions, including autism and autoimmune diseases. Cooper's mother had rushed towards the chamber when it caught fire, but was unable to save her son. Mosteller pleaded no contest to involuntary manslaughter, avoiding a maximum sentence of 15 years in prison.
Written for “Hyperbaric Chamber Fire Trial” on 2026-09-05,
grounded in this article and the 1 other(s) covering the same event.
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Leaning score -0.35 for article 3879 (high confidence, 1 verified quote) · logged 2026-09-04
A man has been sentenced to more than a year in prison in connection with the death of a boy who was killed in a fiery explosion inside a hyperbaric oxygen chamber last year.
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who → sentence → chamber
Jeffrey Mosteller, 66, pleaded no contest to involuntary manslaughter in Oakland County circuit court in Michigan on Monday in connection with the death of 5-year-old Thomas Cooper.
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Mosteller → plead → Cooper
Mosteller will serve 19 months in prison, avoiding the maximum penalty of 15 years behind bars.
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Mosteller → serve → bars
He was the safety manager at the Oxford Center, an alternative health care center that treats children with various health conditions — including autism, ADHD, and autoimmune diseases — through hyperbaric oxygen therapy.
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that → treat → therapy
Cooper, of Detroit suburb Royal Oak, died while undergoing treatment at the center in January 2025 after the hyperbaric chamber caught fire from the inside and exploded.
His family’s attorney, James Harrington, previously told NBC News that the boy was going to the Oxford Center to treat sleep apnea and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder.
Harrington also told NBC News that the boy’s mother rushed toward the chamber when the fire ignited, burning her arm in an unsuccessful attempt to save her son.
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fire → die → son
The boy was burned alive in front of her, the lawyer said,
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lawyer → burn → her
Prosecutors have accused the center of “deliberately disregarding” safety protocols set by both the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) and Sechrist Industries, the manufacturer of the hyperbaric chamber.
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Prosecutors → accuse → chamber
Mosteller was one of four former Oxford Center employees criminally charged in connection with the boy’s death.
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Mosteller → charge → death
Tamela Peterson, the clinic’s owner, and Gary Marken, the facility’s primary management assistant, each face a single charge of second-degree murder or involuntary manslaughter.
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Peterson → face → murder
Aleta Moffitt, the operator of the hyperbaric chamber, was charged with one count of falsifying medical records for allegedly entering false information on a patient chart.
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Moffitt → charge → chart
The three other former employees have pleaded not guilty and are awaiting trial.
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employees → plead → trial
Mosteller could face additional prison time and be denied parole after 19 months if he behaves poorly behind bars.
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he → face → bars
“I expect his conduct will be stellar and I hope that he will be released at the 19-month mark,” his attorney, Alona Sharon, said in a statement.
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attorney → expect → statement
The Michigan Attorney General’s Office did not immediately return a request for comment.
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Office → return → comment
In July, Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel announced that a plea agreement had been reached with Mosteller.
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agreement → announce → Mosteller
“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 in a statement at the time.
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Nessel → lose → time
“While no outcome can reverse this loss, it is my hope that this conviction provides a sense of justice to Thomas’s family.
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conviction → reverse → family
Cooper’s parents filed a civil lawsuit against the Oxford Center and Sechrist, seeking $100 million in damages over the boy’s death.
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parents → file → death
