Pharmacist Charged for Health Care Fraud Conspiracy

An Ohio pharmacist is facing 46 counts related to health care fraud, after her plans to defraud Medicare, Medicaid, the Ohio Bureau of Workers’ Compensation, and private insurers were discovered.

The Columbus, Ohio, woman allegedly developed her schemes between 2003 and 2013, according to the US attorney general’s office.

Maria Mascio, 59, allegedly billed providers for sample drugs that could not be legally sold, and she also billed for medications that had not been dispensed. She additionally used another person’s identification to bill for medication, according to the US attorney general’s office.

Her 46 counts involve conspiracy to commit health care fraud, operating a health care fraud scheme, submitting false health care statements, conspiracy to defraud the government, aggravated identity theft, and tampering with a witness.

The single count of conspiracy to commit health care fraud alone could send the pharmacist to prison for 10 years, and health care fraud schemes can also be punishable by up to 10 years. Her 4 counts of aggravated identity theft translate to a mandatory sentence of 2 years’ imprisonment for each count, according to the US attorney general’s office.

Mascio’s pharmacy license is still active at this time, The Columbus Dispatch discovered.