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Man pleads guilty in Spokane hospital thefts
SPOKANE
– A hospital warehouse supervisor has pleaded guilty to federal charges
that he stole inventory and netted more than $644,000 by selling
medical supplies on an online auction.Kevin Lee Ruff, 42, entered the
pleas Wednesday in U.S. District Court to health care fraud and four
counts each of embezzlement from a health care facility and money
laundering.He could face up to 10 years in federal prison on the first
five counts and up to 20 years in prison for the four money laundering
charges. He remains free pending a March 20 sentencing
hearing.Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph Harrington said officials at
Sacred Heart Medical Center questioned inventory adjustments Ruff had
made to the computer inventory log that tracks items in the hospitals
warehouse from January 2002 to October 2005.Ruff told District Judge
Fred Van Sickle he took items that included diabetic glucose test
strips and inkjet cartridges,
then sold the items online on eBay for below-market value.FBI agents
were able to track the stolen items when they subpoenaed Ruff’s online
PayPal account, Harrington said.Between January 2002 and October 2005,
according to court records, buyers of his stolen goods deposited
$644,866 into his PayPal account to purchase the medical and office
supplies, the government alleged.Some of his clients included medical
supply representatives, Harrington said.Ruff did not comment after the
hearing. His attorney, David Hearrean, said Ruff cooperated with
investigators.
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