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$1.9M Baby Formula Scam: Staten Island Man Gets 33 Months Behind Bars
BROOKLYN, NY – In a brazen scheme that left a trail of deceit, Vladislav Kotlyar, a 45-year-old Staten Island man, was sentenced to 33 months in prison for his role in a $1.9 million baby formula scam.
Kotlyar, who pleaded guilty to mail fraud in March 2023, submitted and caused the submission of forged prescriptions and medical records for specialty baby formula paid for by health insurers. He obtained prescriptions and medical records for infants who were prescribed baby formula and forged those records to obtain specialty baby formula.
After receiving the specialty baby formula, Kotlyar fabricated issues with the shipments, including by impersonating the infants’ parents, to falsely claim that shipments were damaged or contained the incorrect formula to acquire additional formula at no additional cost. Kotlyar then sold the fraudulently obtained formula.
A portion of Kotlyar’s scheme occurred during a national shortage of infant formula. “The defendant’s actions were a slap in the face to families who were already struggling to find baby formula for their children,” said Breon Peace, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York.
Kotlyar was also ordered to pay approximately $738,000 in restitution and forfeit approximately $1 million. The sentence was handed down by United States District Judge William F. Kuntz II in federal court in Brooklyn.
“This case is a stark reminder of the devastating consequences of white-collar crime,” said Nicole M. Argentieri, head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “We will continue to hold accountable those who prioritize profit over people.”
Trial Attorney Patrick J. Campbell of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section prosecuted the case, while Assistant United States Attorney Claire S. Kedeshian of the Eastern District of New York’s Asset Recovery Section handled forfeiture matters.
The case is a result of a joint investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, New York Field Office. James Smith, Assistant Director-in-Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, New York Field Office, commended the efforts of all those involved in the case.
The defendant: VLADISLAV KOTLYAR, Age: 45, Staten Island, New York, E.D.N.Y. Docket No. 23-CR-75 (WFK).
Key Facts
- State: New York
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Fraud & Financial Crimes|White Collar Crime
- Source: Official Source ↗
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