Johnson City, Tenn.-based Mountain Empire Surgery Center was allegedly scammed out of $1.3 million from two men acting as a medical device company, the TimesNews reports.
Here's what you should know:
1. Two men are being sued for conspiracy to commit mail fraud and 15 counts of mail fraud for allegedly operating a fake medical supply company. From April 2010 to March 2016, the men allegedly created 161 false documents and received $1.3 million in payments for undelivered equipment.
2. The one man was a former employee of the center, working as the center's material manager.
3. In early 2009, the men began creating and submitting false purchase orders, invoices and packing slips to the surgery center for equipment the center never received.
4. United Surgical Partners International, the center's affiliate, would allegedly issue checks to the men's fake company for the equipment.
5. The men would deposit the checks and split the profits between each other.
6. Mountain Empire Surgery Center Administrator James Branon said in a release, "We are aware of the investigation and will continue to cooperate throughout the process however needed. We are very appreciative of the support we have received from the local authorities."