Nine pharmacists were charged June 17 for their alleged participation in a $12.1 million healthcare fraud scheme taking place in Detroit and southern Ohio.
The indictments allege that, using pharmacies in Michigan and Ohio, the defendants — who are all licensed pharmacists and/or owners of the pharmacies —billed Medicare, Medicaid and Blue Cross Blue Shield for prescription drugs that were neither purchased nor dispensed.
The defendants also are accused of billing Medicare and Medicaid for drugs that were often medically unnecessary and for billing for medicines they claimed to have dispensed to patients after their dates of death.
The defendants allegedly received more than $12.1 million from Medicare, Medicaid and Blue Cross Blue Shield from the fraudulent claims. The scheme allegedly took place from 2010 to 2019.
The nine pharmacists are charged with healthcare fraud, conspiracy to commit healthcare fraud and wire fraud.
Read the U.S. Justice Department's full news release here.