HARRISBURG, PA – A former certified registered nurse practitioner from western Pennsylvania received a sentence Thursday of 11.5 to 23 months, followed by 8 years of probation. Joseph G. Sapp, 56, was penalized for writing fraudulent prescriptions for thousands of Oxycodone pills.
Sapp had previously admitted guilt to charges, which include possession with intent to deliver, Medicaid fraud, and forgery. The Office of Attorney General’s Bureau of Narcotics Investigations and Medicaid Fraud Control Unit discovered that Sapp wrote prescriptions filled in Westmoreland, Allegheny, Fayette, and Washington counties.
Sapp issued prescriptions for himself and others in exchange for money, thereby defrauding Medicaid. According to Attorney General Michelle Henry, Sapp failed to uphold his professional responsibilities and contributed to the opioid epidemic by facilitating access to Oxycodone.
The investigation received support from multiple agencies, including the Penn Township Police Department, the Westmoreland County Drug Task Force, the Westmoreland County Sheriff’s Office, and the DEA. Sapp admitted to exploiting Medicaid to submit false prescription claims and illegally acquiring prescriptions under false identities.