A ringleader and a doctor pleaded guilty to participating in a narcotics ring that defrauded Medicaid and distributed black-market prescription pain pills such as OxyContin and Percocet in Hudson, Bergen, Monmouth and Ocean counties.
Louis Lisi, 35, of Union City, N.J., pleaded guilty to a first-degree charge of leader of a narcotics trafficking network before Superior Court Judge Kevin G. Callahan in Hudson County, accordin gto the New Jersey Attorney General’s Office.
Dr. Clifton Howell, 54, of West Orange, N.J., pleaded guilty today to second-degree health care claims fraud.
The charges stem from Operation MedScam, a cooperative investigation by the Medicaid Fraud Control Unit of the New Jersey Office of the Insurance Fraud Prosecutor and the Jersey City Police Department’s Special Investigation Unit.
A total of 34 people have pleaded guilty in connection with the ongoing probe of black-market prescription pain pill sales.
At their sentencing, prosecutors will recommend that Lisi be sentenced to 24 years in prison, including 12 years of parole ineligibility. They also will recommend that Howell be sentenced to four years in prison.
As part of a plea agreement, Howell, who is expected to be disbarred from the Medicaid program for five years, and Lisi are expected to be ordered to pay $128,081 in restitution. Howell also is expected to pay a $101,281 civil penalty. Howell will be debarred from the Medicaid program for five years. Sentencing is scheduled for Sept. 2.
Also, Callahan sentenced Amir Tadros, 33, of Jersey City, N.J., pharmacist in charge at Five Corners Pharmacy, to five years of probation, denying the state’s request that he be sent to jail for 364 days.
Tadros pleaded guilty on May 24 to third-degree health care claims fraud. Tadros also will be debarred from the Medicaid program for five years. He was ordered to pay $55,586 in restitution and an additional civil penalty in the same amount.
Lisi, Howell and Tadros were charged in a Feb. 14, 2011 state grand-jury indictment, charging that between April 2008 and February 2010, the three men conspired with more than 30 others in an enterprise that unlawfully distributed prescription narcotics
Another ringleader, two other pharmacists and 28 street-level drug dealers previously pleaded guilty in the case. A second doctor, Magdy Elamir, 58, of Saddle Brook, N.J., was indicted July 15, 2010. The charges against Elamir are pending.
In pleading guilty, Lisi admitted that he was one of the leaders of the enterprise who financed, organized, supervised and managed the subordinate members in the transportation and distribution across New Jersey of prescription narcotics, including Oxycodone and Percocet.
The enterprise accumulated thousands of prescription pain pills each week that were sold across New Jersey. A single 30 milligram OxyContin pill, known as a “blue,” typically sells for $10 to $20 on the street, while a 10 milligram Percocet pill sells for $5 to $8.
Howell admitted that he was one of the licensed medical professionals involved in this ring. He admitted that between Jan. 1, 2009 and Oct. 19, 2009, he caused claims to be submitted to the Medicaid program for prescription drugs dispensed to Medicaid beneficiaries, when in fact the prescriptions were not dispensed to the intended patients. The claims were subsequently paid out by the Medicaid program.
Tadros admitted that between Aug. 1, 2009, and Oct. 9, 2009, he submitted claims to the Medicaid program for prescription drugs dispensed to Medicaid beneficiaries, even though the prescription drugs were never dispensed. The claims were subsequently paid out by the Medicaid program.
Howell agreed to the temporary suspension of his medical license in December 2009 in lieu of a formal disciplinary hearing before the New Jersey Board of Medical Examiners.
Tadros’ license to practice pharmacy is inactive. The Board of Medical Examiners and Board of Pharmacy will consider disciplinary actions against their licenses following the resolution of these criminal matters, prosecutors said.
Ringleader, doctor plead guilty in Operation MedScam case in N.J. via IFAwebnews.com .
No related posts.
