Pharmacist Accused of $2.4 Million Health Care Fraud

A Chicago pharmacy owner has been indicted on charges of falsely billing $2.4 million for prescription drug claims.

The US Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Illinois alleges pharmacist Walter Beich, owner of Lockport Pharmacy Inc, which operates as Corwin Pharmacy, is liable for not only health care fraud, but also participating in aggravated identity theft by using patient and physician names and identifying information.

Beich’s indictment seeks a forfeiture of $2.4 million to recoup losses from Medicare, Medicaid, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Humana, and United Healthcare. The US attorney’s office stated the pharmacist filed fraudulent claims for prescription drugs he did not dispense to customers. In other cases, he may have dispensed cheaper supplements instead of FDA-approved prescription drugs.

Beich is also accused of encouraging his employees to create fake prescriptions that appeared as though a physician had called them in. The indictment also accuses him of doling out a foreign-sourced drug instead of Viagra.

“In addition, the indictment alleges that Beich obtained physician sample drugs and then submitted insurance claims for dispensing these sample drugs as if he obtained those drugs through commercial distribution channels,” stated the US attorney’s office in a press release.

The 61-year-old pharmacist was arraigned on May 26, 2015, and released on a $4500 unsecured bond. His next hearing is scheduled for June 26, 2015.

Beich potentially faces 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine for health care fraud, while aggravated identify theft carries a 2-year prison term.