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HEATHER ALFONSO, Nurse, Admits to Kickback Scheme in Connecticut
A nurse from Middlebury, Connecticut, has pleaded guilty to receiving kickbacks from a drug company for prescribing pain medication.
HEATHER ALFONSO, 42, waived her right to indictment and pleaded guilty on [month]/[day]/[year] before U.S. District Judge Michael P. Shea in Hartford to receiving kickbacks in relation to a federal healthcare program.
According to court documents and statements made in court, ALFONSO was employed as an Advanced Practice Registered Nurse (APRN) at Comprehensive Pain and Headache Treatment Center (CPHTC) located in Derby.
ALFONSO prescribed various controlled substances to clients of the treatment center, including a drug used to treat cancer pain.
The investigation revealed that ALFONSO was paid $83,000 by the drug manufacturer for speaking at more than 70 dinner programs at a rate of approximately $1,000 per event.
In many instances, the dinner programs were only attended by ALFONSO and a sales representative for the drug manufacturer. In other instances, the programs were attended by individuals, including office staff and friends, who did not have licenses to prescribe controlled substances.
For the majority of these dinner programs, ALFONSO did not give any kind of presentation about the drug at all.
ALFONSO admitted that the money she was paid influenced her prescribing of the drug.
The charge of receipt of kickbacks in relation to a federal healthcare program carries a maximum term of imprisonment of five years and a fine of up to $250,000.
Judge Shea scheduled sentencing for September 17, 2015.
U.S. Attorney Deirdre M. Daly stated that the investigation is ongoing.
U.S. Attorney Daly encouraged individuals who suspect health care fraud to report it by calling the Health Care Fraud Task Force (203) 785-9270 or 1-800-HHS-TIPS.
Defendant Name: HEATHER ALFONSO
Criminal Charges: Receipt of kickbacks in relation to a federal healthcare program
City and State: Middlebury, Connecticut
Exact Date: [month]/[day]/[year]
Sentence or Outcome: Pleaded guilty, sentencing scheduled for September 17, 2015
Dollar Amounts: $83,000 paid by drug manufacturer, $1,000 per event for speaking at dinner programs
Key Facts
- State: Connecticut
- Category: White Collar Crime
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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