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TRENTON
- Attorney General Anne Milgram and Criminal
Justice Director Gregory A. Paw announced
that an Irvington pharmacy, its owner and
an employee have been charged in a state
grand jury indictment with Medicaid prescription
fraud. The Medicaid program, which is funded
by the state and federal governments, provides
health care services and prescription drugs
to persons who may not otherwise be able
to afford such services and medicines.
According
to Insurance Fraud Prosecutor Greta Gooden
Brown, Twumasi Ampofo, 39, of Irvington,
the owner of Victory Pharmacy, Inc.; Charles
O. Manu, age and address unknown, an employee
of Victory Pharmacy, and Victory Pharmacy,
Inc. incorporated as Premier Health Services,
Inc. a pharmacy that does business on Springfield
Avenue in Irvington, were charged with second-degree
health care claims fraud and two counts
of third-degree Medicaid fraud.
The
indictment alleges that between July 19,
2007 and Oct. 24, 2007, Victory Pharmacy,
Ampofo and Manu paid cash to Medicaid beneficiaries
in return for prescriptions. It is alleged
that the defendants billed the Medicaid
program as if the prescriptions had been
filled and medication dispensed to Medicaid
beneficiaries when, in fact, they were not.
Medicaid paid Victory Pharmacy by $10,387.32.
State
Investigator Jamel Stewart and Deputy Attorney
General Linda Rinaldi were assigned to the
investigation. Rinaldi presented the case
to the state grand jury.
The
indictment, which was handed up to Superior
Court Judge Linda Feinberg in Mercer County,
is merely an accusation. The defendants
are presumed innocent until proven guilty.
Second-degree crimes carry a maximum punishment
of 10 years in state prison and a criminal
fine of $150,000, while the third-degree
Medicaid fraud crimes carries a maximum
punishment of three years in State prison
and a criminal fine of $10,000.
The
Office of Insurance Fraud Prosecutor was
established by the Automobile Insurance
Cost Reduction Act of 1998. The office is
the centralized state agency that investigates
and prosecutes both civil and criminal insurance
fraud, as well as Medicaid fraud.
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