HARRISBURG, Pennsylvania – In a shocking turn of events, Matthew Dows, a 39-year-old Physician Assistant, and Robert Garofalo, a 31-year-old Registered Nurse, both of Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania, have pleaded guilty to serious charges.
On October 1, 2018, Dows and Garofalo appeared before Chief United States Magistrate Judge Susan E. Schwab and pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit health care fraud and one count of obtaining controlled substances by deception.
According to court documents, Dows and Garofalo conspired to obtain more than 7,470 medically unnecessary oxycodone pills and 1,620 medically unnecessary morphine pills between February 2017 and March 2018.
The investigation revealed that Dows issued a total of 67 prescriptions for oxycodone and morphine for Garofalo and two other individuals without their knowledge or consent. Dows and Garofalo then filled the prescriptions at local pharmacies and converted the controlled substances to their own use.
After Dows was terminated from his employment as a Physician Assistant at Pinnacle’s Health’s Fisher Road Office in Mechanicsburg on January 5, 2018, he wrote 11 more prescriptions for oxycodone and morphine on counterfeit Pinnacle prescription forms.
The matter was investigated by the Harrisburg Office of the Drug Enforcement Administration, with Assistant U.S. Attorney Kim Douglas Daniel prosecuting the case.
Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the judge will consider various factors, including the nature and seriousness of the offense, the history and characteristics of the defendants, and the need to punish, protect the public, and provide for the defendants’ educational, vocational, and medical needs.
Matthew Dows, 39, Former Physician Assistant and Robert Garofalo, 31, Registered Nurse
Criminal Charges: Conspiracy to commit health care fraud, obtaining controlled substances by deception
City and State: Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania
Exact Date: October 1, 2018
Sentence or Outcome: To be determined by the judge
Amounts: Over 7,470 medically unnecessary oxycodone pills, 1,620 medically unnecessary morphine pills
Key Facts
- State: Pennsylvania
- Category: Drug Trafficking
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
ðŸâ€Â’ Get the grimiest stories delivered weekly. Subscribe free →
MORE FEDERAL CRIME NEWS
Drug TraffickingDrug TraffickingDrug TraffickingDrug Trafficking