JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – A Jacksonville-area medical device sales representative was sentenced to four years in Florida state prison on June 25, after being convicted of organized fraud connected to a years-long theft scheme at a Northeast Florida hospital.
Scott Michael Weller, 56, of St. Johns, was adjudicated guilty on a charge of organized fraud resulting in property valued at $50,000 or more, according to court records.
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The scheme
According to a civil complaint filed in June 2022 by Baptist Health System, Inc., Weller began the fraudulent scheme in approximately April 2014, shortly after being hired by Stryker Sales, LLC — operating as Stryker Craniomaxillofacial — as a sales representative serving Baptist Medical Center Jacksonville. Stryker Craniomaxillofacial specializes in implants used in cranial, neurological, and spinal procedures.
The complaint alleges Weller worked with Lakeisha Lawrence Rencher, a supply chain coordinator at Baptist Medical Center Jacksonville, to systematically over-order craniomaxillofacial implants and other medical devices. Once the products arrived at the hospital’s loading dock, Rencher allegedly allowed Weller access to a secure operating room storage area, where he would load the excess products into his backpack and walk out of the building.
To avoid detection, the pair allegedly ordered small quantities of products on a near-daily basis as stock items rather than vendor-managed items, bypassing supervisor approval. Baptist’s lawsuit states the total cost of products ordered under the scheme was approximately 24 times the cost of Stryker products actually used in patient procedures during the same period.
Rencher later pleaded guilty to organized fraud and is scheduled to be sentenced on July 17.
Prior criminal history
The civil complaint also raised questions about Stryker’s hiring practices. According to the lawsuit, Weller had a prior criminal record from his time as a medical device sales representative before joining Stryker. A criminal complaint was filed against Weller in St. Johns County on March 3, 2009, alleging he stole a laser worth approximately $20,000 from a dermatology practice client and sold it to another practice. He was arrested by the St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office on September 21, 2009, on an out-of-county warrant related to grand theft.
Baptist’s complaint alleges that prior criminal history was never disclosed to the hospital system, and that Stryker either knew of Weller’s record or failed to conduct an adequate background investigation before placing him in a sales role with access to hospital inventory.
Awards during the fraud
During the period of the alleged fraud, Stryker and Stryker Sales reportedly recognized Weller’s inflated sales performance — awarding him the title of Stryker Representative of the Year for both 2015 and 2016. Baptist’s lawsuit argues those accolades were a direct product of the excessive sales generated through the fraudulent scheme, and that Stryker knew, or should have known, that the order volumes were abnormally high.
News4JAX reached out to Stryker for a comment. This story will be updated when we receive a response.
Sentencing
Weller was booked into the Duval County jail on June 25. Court records show he was sentenced to four years and credited with two days of time served.
Baptist Health responds
Baptist Health said it is aware of the criminal proceedings and expressed appreciation for the state’s pursuit of the case.
“We appreciate the State’s efforts to hold individuals accountable for conduct of this nature,” the health system said in a statement. “Weller’s actions are inconsistent with our core values and the standards to which we hold all vendors.”
Baptist Health added that it is actively pursuing civil claims against Weller to recover its losses.
“Baptist Health has filed civil claims to recover losses resulting from Weller’s fraudulent conduct and we are pursuing those claims vigorously,” the statement read. “Considering the pending litigation, we decline to comment further.”