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Srinivasa Raju, 51, of Haskell, began the new scam at another Morris County pharmacy after serving three years probation -- and losing his pharmacist's license -- following his 2016 state conviction.
SEE: Jurors Convict Clifton Pharmacist In Oxycodone Scheme
While in that job, Raju "worked with other pharmacy personnel to pay kickbacks and bribes to medical employees in two different doctors’ offices in Jersey City," U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger said.
"In exchange, those employees steered numerous, high-value prescriptions to the pharmacy where Raju worked," the U.S. attorney said.
"Raju and his conspirators paid as much as $150 for each prescription and used various tactics to conceal many of those bribe payments," he said.
Raju, formerly of Clifton first paid the kickbacks and bribes using gift cards -- but soon switched to cash and checks, according to a complaint on file in U.S. District Court in Newark.
To try and cover his tracks, it says, Raju had $8,000 or so worth of checks made out to an employee’s relative, “under the guise of paying for IT services."
“In truth, Raju never met or communicated with the relative, and no actual services were performed," the complaint says.
"Overall, the pharmacy received over $2.4 million in Medicare reimbursement payments based on prescriptions derived from the kickback scheme," Sellinger said.
Raju was secretly recorded at the pharmacy directing an employee to deliver a kickback and bribe of “200 bucks for Thanksgiving,” the complaint says.
“What do you think, I should give $300? What do you think?” Raju allegedly continued.
He then counted out more cash, which he put in a sealed envelope to have hand-delivered, the complaint says.
In another instance, he tucked $250 in cash into a Christmas card that he also had delivered to the same physician’s office, it says.
Rather than risk the consequences of a trial, Raju took a deal from the government, pleading guilty last week to violate the federal anti-kickback statute.
U.S. District Judge Michael A. Shipp scheduled sentencing for May 16, 2023.
Magdalena Jimenez, 58, of Newark, previously pleaded guilty to a parallel bribery and kickback scheme involving the same pharmacy, Sellinger noted.
Sellinger credited special agents of the FBI and his office with the investigation leading to both pleas, secured by Assistant U.S. Attorney Joshua L. Haber of his Health Care Fraud Unit.
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