Former Starkey President Gets 7 Years For Embezzlement

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- Former Starkey Laboratories, Inc. president Jerome Ruzicka was sentenced to seven years in prison Wednesday for stealing more than $15 million from the company.

The 62-year-old, and co-defendant Jeffery Taylor, 57, were convicted in March. Taylor, along with Jeffery Longtain, 59, and Scott Nelson, 60, will be sentenced for their involvement on Thursday.

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The trial revealed Ruzicka and Taylor worked to embezzle and misappropriate money and business opportunities belonging to Starkey and Sonion, a supplier of hearing aid components to Starkey. The scheme lasted from 2006 to 2015.

Ruzicka was terminated by Starkey in 2015 after details of the ploy were discovered.