Kansas Radiologist Pleads Not Guilty in $7 Million Fraud and Bribery Case

Heidi Lynn Webster, MD, a former Army officer radiologist and founder of the defense contractors MRI Resources Inc. and Pro Veteran Staffing Inc., has pleaded not guilty to charges that she and two of her business partners conspired to defraud the government by bribing Army personnel to steer contracts to her businesses and submitting fraudulent invoices. Defense contract regulations are designed to help smaller contractors compete with larger companies, but Webster, 50, and her partners retired Army Master Sgt. Lawrence Peter Fenti of New Braunfels, Texas and John Walter Hoffman of San Antonio, allegedly took unfair advantage of those rules, reports the San Antonio Express-News. Webster was released from custody on a $100,000 unsecured bond following her initial court hearing. She was already found in criminal contempt of court because of her behavior at her initial court appearance where she was informed of the charges against her. Webster will serve 30 days in jail on top of any other rulings against her at the end of the case for speaking loudly and repeatedly interrupting the judge despite warnings of the possible consequences.