Pharmacist pleads to AIDS drug fraud |
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Tue, 19 Jun 2007 16:49
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PITTSBURGH (AP) - A pharmacist filed up to $7 million worth of false claims for HIV/AIDS medications and conspired to fill bogus painkiller prescriptions over the Internet.Anthony A. Grejda, 45, of McMurray, pleaded guilty Monday in federal court to charges of health care fraud, conspiracy and illegally distributing the painkiller hydrocodone over the Internet.Grejda's guilty plea ended a trial that began April 25 in U.S. District Court, Pittsburgh.Grejda filed claims for HIV and AIDS drugs that were never dispensed, which cost an insurance company and Medicaid programs in Pennsylvania and Ohio between $2.5 million and $7 million, federal prosecutors said. Grejda committed the fraud through his Crafton pharmacy, known as TDI.Grejda also filled hundreds of painkiller prescriptions each day to patients who were never seen by doctors who issued the sham prescriptions based on a brief Internet questionnaire patients completed. Grejda supplied 3.7 million pills from September 2002 to April 2007, prosecutors said.Grejda faces up to 40 years in prison and $1.25 million in fines when he's sentenced Oct. 19.Copyright 2007 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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