NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Tyrone Floyd Berry, 46, of Lawrenceburg, Tennessee, and Aaron James Hill, 43, of Fairview, Tennessee, have been sentenced for their roles in a conspiracy to defraud two hospital management companies, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Mary Jane Stewart for the Middle District of Tennessee.
According to court documents, Berry and Hill created false invoices for “Berry Recruiting,” a company purportedly owned by Berry. They submitted these invoices to Community Health Services in Franklin, representing that unsuspecting job seekers were recruited by Berry Recruiting. In fact, these individuals were unaffiliated with Hill, Berry, Berry Recruiting, or Community Health Services.
Berry Recruiting received $257,469.84 for 38 false invoices submitted to Community Health Services between August 2015 and April 2016. They carried out a similar scheme at Quorum Health Corporation in Brentwood, where Hill began working in May 2016 as an employee relations manager.
Hill and Berry submitted false invoices to Quorum Health on behalf of Berry Recruiting, with Berry Recruiting receiving $567,765 for 33 false invoices. All of these invoices falsely represented Berry Recruiting obtained and relocated new employees. The investigation determined Hill and Berry simply recycled the names of employees previously recruited by other firms and hired by Quorum Health.
Between August 2015 through April 2017, Hill and Berry obtained over $825,000 from the two companies, and thereafter split the unlawful proceeds.
Berry was sentenced to 12 months and one day in prison and ordered to forfeit $247,734.92. Hill, who was previously sentenced in July, was ordered to 33 months in prison and to forfeit $577,500. Both men pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, and two counts of wire fraud.
The investigation was led by the Federal Bureau of Investigation with assistance from the Williamson County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephanie N. Toussaint prosecuted the case.
This brazen scheme involved the exploitation of unsuspecting job seekers and the abuse of trust by hospital management companies. It is a stark reminder of the need for vigilance and accountability in our institutions.
Related Federal Cases
- Nicole Bogan, Health Care Fraud, Columbus GA, 2013 · Illinois
- Mississippi Entrepreneur Indicted for $1.2M Bank Fraud Scheme · Ohio
- Alabama Contractor Sentenced to Nine Years for Wire Fraud · Tennessee
- Knoxville’s Mayra Blair Slammed with 37-Month Fraud & Laundering Sentence · Tennessee
- Kalena Winston Pleads Guilty to $70K Tax Fraud Scheme · Texas
Key Facts
- State: Tennessee
- Category: White Collar Crime|Fraud & Financial Crimes
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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