The former chief operating officer of a Morgantown medical practice and one of its physicians have been charged with stealing more than $650,000 from their employer. Francisco Ortiz, age 48, of Vacaville, California, and James Brooks Mersing, 35, of Morgantown, have been indicted on charges of defrauding Wedgewood Physicians, Inc. According to the indictment, Ortiz used his position as COO to divert funds over a three-year period for his personal benefit and for the benefit of Mersing, a physician formerly employed by Wedgewood. Ortiz is alleged to have used the funds to pay for personal travel, home improvements, and various items from Amazon, among other things. Ortiz is also alleged to have caused unauthorized bonuses to be paid to Mersing, who then returned a portion of the money to Ortiz as a kickback.
