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Kwasi Gyambibi, of Stamford, was found guilty of two counts of health care fraud related to fraudulent prescriptions for compound drugs that were submitted to Advantage Pharmacy in March 2015 to the tune of $1.5 million.
Gyambibi worked at UConn-Stamford with his wife, Kakra, was a physician at Stamford Hospital.
According to U.S. Attorney John Durham, “Advantage Pharmacy was a compounding pharmacy located in Hattiesburg, Mississippi. As a compounding pharmacy, Advantage created compound prescription drugs specifically tailored for individual patients who had a medical need for a compound drug, by mixing together individual ingredients in the exact strength and dosage prescribed by the health care provider to meet the unique needs of a patient.”
One tube of a compound drug cream cost health care benefit programs thousands of dollars, with some tubes topping $11,000 for a monthly supply. Gyambibi eventually became a sales representative for Advantage Pharmacy, selling the compounds.
On Jan. 9 this year, a grand jury in New Haven returned a 19-count indictment alleging that in 2014 and 2015, the Gyambibis entered into a scheme to defraud the State of Connecticut Pharmacy Benefit Plan, TRICARE and other programs by submitting false prescriptions for compound medications from Advantage Pharmacy.
It was determined that Karma Gyambibi did not treat, examine or meet with patients for whom some of those prescriptions were written. The health care providers then paid Advantage Pharmacy for compound prescription drugs. Advantage Pharmacy then paid a commission of between 15 percent and 35 percent to sales representatives, including Gyambibi’s cousin, who Durham said he “considered his brother.”
In total, the scheme led to a loss of more than $1.5 million to the victim health care programs.
Gyambibi, 40, was found guilty of two counts of health care fraud related to fraudulent prescriptions for compound drugs that were submitted to Advantage Pharmacy and found him not guilty of seven counts of health care fraud. The jury could not reach a verdict on the other 10 counts in the indictment.
Gyambibi is scheduled to be sentenced on May 28, when he will face up to 20 years in prison. His wife pleaded guilty on Jan. 18 to one count of conspiracy to commit health care fraud and is also awaiting sentencing.
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