Oklahoma AG Seeks $1.8M from Vendor After Failed PPE Order

State Attorney General Mike Hunter is seeking more than $1.8 million from a company he says owes that state after failing to deliver four orders of personal protective equipment (PPE) ordered by the Oklahoma Department of Health.

In a petition filed in district court, the state alleges Casey Bradford, who is co-manager and an owner of PPE Supplies LLC, misrepresented facts to the state that if he were paid up front for half the cost of one purchase order, he could expedite the shipment of protective masks for delivery to the state within two weeks.

Officials with the Department of Health made the 50 percent deposit of $2.125 million for 1.2 million masks.

Attorney General Hunter said his office has exhausted other remedies for reimbursement from Bradford.

PPE Supplies LLC was formed on March 23, the same day the first purchase order was made by the Department of Health.

Toward the end of March, Bradford said the shipment was delayed, but half of the 1 million masks purchased should be in Oklahoma City in a few days, the AG’s office said in a media release.

In April, and after the state had still not received its order, Bradford told officials he was going to China to supervise the shipment of masks because the issue was with the shipment process.

The state later discovered Bradford and his company’s assurance of having an on-hand supply of masks in China to fill the orders was false.

After the Department of Health cancelled all four orders, officials asked for the $2.125 million deposit back. Bradford has only refunded a partial payment of $300,000.

To date, no other refunds have been made to the state.

Source: Oklahoma AG’s Office

Topics Oklahoma