More sentences issued in $19 million fraud scheme impersonating employees of Cerner

Four more defendants were sentenced Tuesday in a $19 million fraud scheme that involved impersonating employees of Cerner Corp.

During the years-long conspiracy, defendants concocted an elaborate scheme to defraud investors and potential business associates out of millions of dollars.

The leader of the conspiracy, Albert Davis, 56, of Richardson, Texas, was sentenced Monday in U.S. District Court in Kansas City to 12 years in federal prison.

He was also ordered to pay $19 million in restitution.

On Tuesday, co-defendants David Tayce, David Hernon, Richard Bryant and Christina Bryant were sentenced for their roles in the conspiracy.

Tayce, 67, of Lucas, Texas, was sentenced to five years and six months in federal prison.

Hernon, 56, formerly of Texas and now a resident of Indiana, received a prison sentence of four years and four months.

Davis and Tayce are jointly required to pay $19 million in restitution as part of their sentences. Hernon was ordered to pay $6 million in restitution.

Richard Bryant and his wife, Christina Bryant, both 41, of Sachse, Texas, were longtime employees of Davis’ and were not involved in the planning of the fraud scheme, according to a written sentencing memorandum filed by their attorney.

The Bryants were each sentenced to five years of probation, but were ordered to pay $8 million in restitution.

As part of the conspiracy, officials at a Texas hospital bought a $1 million MRI System that they thought came from Cerner, the North Kansas City-based health care information technology company.

Only when contacting Cerner after the sale did the hospital learn that the company had not been involved in the sale.

The conspiracy also involved using false testimony and documents to win a multimillion-dollar civil lawsuit and filing a phony bankruptcy case.

According to federal prosecutors, by using Cerner’s reputation in business dealings, the conspirators misled would-be investors and business partners.

This story was originally published April 25, 2017 at 3:54 PM with the headline "More sentences issued in $19 million fraud scheme impersonating employees of Cerner."