FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (AP) – A company that operates six South Florida hospitals has agreed to a $5.5 million settlement with the federal government over patient information that was stolen by two employees.

The South Florida Sun Sentinel reported Friday (https://goo.gl/4L35f6 ) that Memorial Health Care systems reached the agreement with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services nearly five years after the data breach.

Memorial’s investigation found the employees stole patient information as part of a plan to file phony tax returns.

Health and Human Services said information on 115,143 individuals was accessed in violation of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, known as HIPAA.