The owner of a New York City pharmacy has been charged with allegedly leading an opioid distribution ring and committing healthcare fraud, according to ABC 7.
Michael Paulsen, the owner of Regal Remedies, was arrested Sept. 12 after officials say he dispensed more than 100,000 oxycodone pills to people without prescriptions between March 2016 and September 2019.
Mr. Paulsen is not a licensed pharmacist and had no legal right to distribute controlled substances, according to the report.
Mr. Paulsen also is accused of bribing customers to order medically-unnecessary products. Prosecutors say he would then bill Medicare, Medicaid and other insurers for reimbursements on those unnecessary products and provide a portion of those payments to the customer.
He faces one count of conspiring to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute oxycodone illegally, one count of healthcare fraud and one count of paying kickbacks to induce individuals to purchase items under a federal healthcare program.
If convicted, Mr. Paulsen faces up to 50 years in jail.