Couple accused of defrauding military seek separate trials

NASHVILLE – Separate trials are being sought by a Tennessee couple accused of defrauding the U.S. military out of $65 million in a scheme involving prescriptions for pain and scar cream.

The Tennessean reports a recently filed court motion says Jimmy Collins and Ashley Collins each plan to claim the other was the leader of a conspiracy to sell expensive pain and scar cream to Marines in California.

The couple is accused of managing a network of recruiters to convince Marines to sign up for prescriptions for the cream, which was priced at about $14,000 per prescription. An ex-Marine who was the lead recruiter pleaded guilty last year.

Doctors who never examined the Marines wrote the prescriptions that were then filled by a Utah pharmacy that billed military insurance.

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Information from: The Tennessean, http://www.tennessean.com