Former Mercyhealth hospital executive sentenced to 3.5 years for fraud

A federal judge has sentenced a former Janesville hospital executive to 3.5 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 while Bortner was vice president of marketing 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. They say that 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. Bortner agreed to use Weckerly’s marketing company as the primary agency for Mercyhealth.