OXFORD – The verdicts are in on North Mississippi Ray Shoemaker and Lee Garner.

By Patsy Brumfield
Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal

On 12 counts, it breaks down this way:

COUNT 1 – Nursing services kickback-bribery conspiracy (both defendants): Guilty

COUNT 2 – Nursing services kickbacks-bribes (Garner): Guilty

COUNT 3 – Nursing services kickbacks-bribes (Shoemaker): Guilty

COUNT 4 – Healthcare fraud conspiracy (both): Guilty

COUNT 5 – Healthcare fraud (Garner): Guilty

COUNT 6 – Healthcare fraud (Shoemaker): Guilty

COUNT 7- False statements to FBI (Shoemaker): Guilty

COUNT 8 – Conspiracy to make false statements to USDA (Shoemaker): Guilty

COUNT 9 – False statement to USDA (Shoemaker): Guilty

COUNT 10 – False statement to USDA (Shoemaker): Guilty

COUNT 11 – False statement to USDA (Shoemaker): Guilty

COUNT 12 – Embezzlement (Shoemaker): Guilty

Shoemaker of Tupelo and Garner of Batesville were accused in a scheme to boost nursing-service business for Garner at Tri-Lakes Medical Center where Shoemaker was its CEO.

Shoemaker also was accused of embezzling $250,000 from the hospital.

Their attorneys insisted their clients were innocent and any accusations by the government could be explained, if the jury looks at all the evidence.

(Reporters for the Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal in Tupelo have been cooperating with The Panolian during the federal criminal trial in Oxford. The account above was written by Daily Journal reporter Patsy Brumfield, who was present for the verdict).