Northfield pharmaceutical rep admits role in massive health benefits fraud
CAMDEN — A Northfield man became the ninth person to plead guilty in the ongoing federal investigation targeting abuse of the State Health Benefit Plan.
Richard Zappala, 45, a pharmaceutical sales representative, appeared in federal court Thursday before Judge Robert B. Kugler to plead guilty to conspiracy to defraud the state health benefits plan.
Zappala admitted to fraud totaling $4.3 million, which he must pay back. He also must forfeit more than $1.4 million for his role in a prescription benefits fraud scheme involving people receiving kickbacks for filling prescriptions for compounded cream medications.
According to court documents, Zappala acted as a recruiter in the scheme, getting individuals to obtain expensive and medically unnecessary compounded medications from an out-of-state pharmacy from January 2015 through April 2016.
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