Federal prosecutors say they have broken up a fraud scheme at veterans hospitals in South Florida.
They say fraudulent suppliers stole millions from the government by bribing purchasing agents to look the other way as they billed Veterans Affairs hospitals for orders that were non-existent or grossly overpriced.
Prosecutors said Wednesday that employees would then mark the orders as complete in the hospitals' computer system.
The scheme lasted 10 years and involved purchases of medical equipment and routine supplies such as toilet paper and laundry detergent. Ten employees and five vendors have been arrested.
