A Las Vegas man has been sentenced to 21 months in prison for defrauding a hospital of more than $700,000 through a fraudulent invoicing scheme, according to a press release from the United States Attorney’s Office, District of Nevada.
Roland Sagun Torres, 48, carried out the scheme between 2020 and June 14, 2022, submitting false invoices for medical supplies that were never delivered. The hospital processed the payments and mailed checks totaling $712,000 to Torres’s business.
Torres pleaded guilty to one count of mail fraud on November 3, 2023. United States District Judge Gloria M. Navarro sentenced him to 21 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release. The court also ordered him to pay full restitution of $712,000.
A widely circulated account of the case by simoninvestigations on Instagram adds narrative context to the scheme. The transcript describes Torres as working at a Subway outlet near Sunrise Hospital in Las Vegas and starting a company called “Surgical Innovations.”
According to this account, he initially sent a single invoice for $18,000, which the hospital paid. He then continued submitting invoices multiple times per week, eventually embedding himself in the hospital’s accounts payable system and receiving repeated payments over time.
While this narrative is not part of the official court record, it aligns with confirmed details about the method, duration, and total financial loss involved in the case.
According to court documents cited in the press release, Torres created and used a business entity to submit fraudulent invoices to the hospital. He made the invoices appear legitimate by using the names of at least 100 real patients and doctors associated with the hospital.
The hospital continued to pay the invoices for nearly two years without detecting the fraud. The scheme remained active until internal scrutiny raised questions about the vendor, prompting further investigation.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation led the probe and traced the fraudulent activity back to Torres. Authorities confirmed that he knowingly submitted invoices for products that were never supplied.
United States Attorney Jason M. Frierson and FBI Special Agent in Charge Spencer L. Evans announced the sentencing. Assistant United States Attorney Edward Veronda prosecuted the case.
Reference:
United States Attorney’s Office, District of Nevada. “Las Vegas Business Owner Sentenced to Prison for Submitting Over $700,000 in Fraudulent Invoices.” U.S. Department of Justice, July 3, 2024. https://www.justice.gov/usao-nv/pr/las-vegas-business-owner-sentenced-prison-submitting-over-700000-fraudulent-invoices?
