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Peter J. Capitano, 58, Sentenced to 15 Months Imprisonment for Scheme to Defraud
A federal court in Scranton has sentenced an Old Forge pharmacist to 15 months imprisonment for his role in a health care fraud scheme that bilked Blue Cross of Northeastern Pennsylvania and Medicaid out of $166,287.03.
Peter J. Capitano, 58, pleaded guilty to the charges and was sentenced by United States District Court Judge Malachy E. Mannion on December 18, 2014, following a investigation initiated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General in February 2011.
According to court documents, Capitano submitted claims or caused claims to be submitted to Blue Cross of Northeastern Pennsylvania and Medicaid from 2007 through August 2013, for drugs allegedly prescribed when the prescriptions did not exist and for drugs not actually dispensed.
The scheme, uncovered through a joint investigation, resulted in a significant loss for the health benefit providers, with Capitano ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $166,287.03.
Assistant United States Attorney Michelle Olshefski prosecuted the case, which stemmed from a criminal information filed in January 2014 charging Capitano with engaging in the scheme to defraud.
United States Attorney Peter J. Smith praised the efforts of the investigators and prosecutors involved in the case, saying that the sentence sends a strong message about the consequences of health care fraud.
Capitano will serve 15 months imprisonment followed by a 3-year term of supervised release, according to the court’s ruling.
Key Facts
- State: Pennsylvania
- Category: Fraud & Financial Crimes
- Source: DOJ Press Release ↗
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