The charges arose out of a scheme to present forged doctors’ prescriptions for high-dollar cancer and HIV medications to dozens of Atlanta-area pharmacies using the identities of Georgia Medicaid recipients, causing the cost of the medications to be billed to the Georgia Medicaid program and reselling the medications, according to the release.
In addition to serving 12 years in prison, Mr. Scott faces three years of supervised release after his prison term ends. He was also ordered to pay nearly $1.43 million in restitution to Georgia Medicaid.
Mr. Scott and his cousin, Hezron D. Collie of Atlanta, Ga., allegedly purchased blank prescription pads from insiders at Emory University’s Winship Cancer Institute in Atlanta and two other physician offices. Mr. Scott and Mr. Collie then bought names, dates of birth and Medicaid numbers of dozens of Georgia Medicaid recipients, and forged approximately 164 prescriptions for Neupogen, a chemotherapy drug, and multiple medications used to treat HIV, using the patient Medicaid information.
A one-month supply of Neupogen alone costs approximately $10,000, according to the release.
The men then presented the forged prescriptions along with the patient information to pharmacies throughout the Atlanta area and recruited a pharmacist and a pharmacy technician to help facilitate the scheme.
The pharmacies billed approximately $1.1 million to Georgia Medicaid for the cost of the medications that were fraudulently acquired. The evidence at trial showed that after obtaining the medications, Mr. Scott and Mr. Collie transported them to South Florida for sale on the so-called “gray market,” in which there is significant demand for such medications, according to the report.
Mr. Scott was convicted of all charges in October. Mr. Collie pleaded guilty in June for his role in the scheme and faces sentencing this week.
Read the DOJ release on Varian Scott.
