Pharmacy Owner Pleads Guilty to Health Care Fraud

The proprietor of a specialty pharmacy in Linden has confessed to orchestrating a scheme that defrauded Medicare and Medicaid out of more than $175,000.

Thomas Conzo, 49, from Staten Island, New York, entered a guilty plea related to health care fraud, as confirmed by officials from the U.S. Attorney’s Office in New Jersey.

He is facing a potential sentence of up to 10 years in federal prison, with sentencing set for December 4th.

Attempts to reach Conzo’s attorney, Maria Noto from Matawan, were unsuccessful on Wednesday.

A call made to the pharmacy seeking Conzo reportedly yielded an incorrect number, as mentioned by NJ Advance Media.

Authorities indicate that Conzo submitted fraudulent claims for prescriptions to various medical benefit programs, including Medicare and Medicaid, amounting to hundreds of thousands of dollars.

Between August 2022 and March 2023, he made these submissions on behalf of two pharmacists, even continuing to file claims after they had left their positions.

The drugs involved are meant for treating conditions such as hepatitis C, Crohn’s disease, gout, and rheumatoid arthritis, according to the court documents.

Records show that Conzo reimbursed $133,322.54 between July and December 2022, despite not having an authorized pharmacist to file claims with Medicare and Medicaid.

Additionally, he received another $41,402.13 in refunds from January 23 to March 3, 2023.

Prosecutors noted that Conzo also sought to recover undisclosed amounts while the pharmacists were employed at his pharmacy.