NEWARK, NJ – A former sales representative was sentenced to 60 months in prison on Friday, for his involvement in a fraudulent scheme to defraud public health benefits programs. The scheme involved billing for medically unnecessary compound prescriptions. U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced the sentencing.
Matthew Puccio, 41, from Randolph, New Jersey, was convicted on July 19, 2022, of conspiracy to commit health care fraud. The conviction followed a seven-day jury trial before U.S. District Judge John Michael Vazquez, who imposed the sentence.
Puccio was part of a conspiracy between November 2014 to March 2016 that involved submitting fraudulent prescriptions for compound medications. Puccio and his co-conspirators caused significant financial loss to public health benefits programs.
In addition to his prison term, Puccio was sentenced to three years of supervised release and ordered to pay $2.65 million in restitution.