Former hospital executive sentenced to 3 1/2 years for fraud

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MADISON, Wis. (AP) — A federal judge has sentenced a former Janesville hospital executive to 3 1/2 years in prison for a multi-million dollar kickback scheme.

Fifty-seven-year-old Barbara Bortner, of Milton, earlier pleaded guilty to wire fraud and tax evasion. Investigators say that while Bortner was vice president of marketing and public relations at Mercyhealth in Janesville, she and co-defendant Ryan

Weckerly devised a scheme in which Weckerly submitted inflated invoices to Bortner for his marketing work on behalf of Mercyhealth.

According to court documents, once Bortner approved the invoices, Weckerly was paid by Mercyhealth and he then provided money to Bortner in cash or checks which totaled more than $3 million. And Bortner agreed to use Weckerly’s marketing company as the primary agency for Mercyhealth.

At a sentencing hearing Wednesday, Judge William Conley said Bortner earned a generous salary at Mercyhealth and had no pressing need for the money she stole. Conley said the crime was motivated entirely by greed.

Weckerly earlier pleaded guilty to wire fraud and aiding and assisting in the filing of a false tax return and will be sentenced by Conley on May 17. The judge also scheduled a restitution hearing for Bortner and Weckerly on July 21.

The charges are the result of an IRS investigation.