Two Montreal men have been charged with conspiring to defraud Atlas Copco of more than $16 million.

The charges come following a complaint by Atlas Copco that two of their senior executives conspired with the company’s health-care provider to increase monthly billing and produce fraudulent invoices. The excess money was split between the co-conspirators.

Following the complaint, a Joint Forces fraud investigation was launched by the Greater Sudbury Police Service and the RCMP in April 2008.

As a result, Dirk Plate, 68, and Leo Caron, 66, were arrested by the RCMP Commercial Crime Unit at their homes and returned to Sudbury for bail hearings. An arrest warrant has been issued for a third Montreal man, Paul Caron, 68.