NJ Pharmacy Owner Sentenced to 30 Months for $620K Health Care Fraud

Kirtan S. Patel, 45, of Edison, New Jersey, received the sentence on Tuesday in U.S. District Court in Newark. He pleaded guilty in April to one count of health care fraud.

According to court documents, Patel owned and operated a pharmacy in Edison. From 2016 through 2019, he submitted fraudulent claims to health insurance providers for prescription medications that were never dispensed to patients.

To conceal the scheme, Patel created falsified audit reports and fabricated prescription logs that appeared to show legitimate transactions. The fraudulent claims totaled more than $620,000.

In addition to the prison term, U.S. District Judge John Michael Vazquez ordered Patel to pay restitution of $620,000 and serve three years of supervised release after his incarceration.

The case was investigated by the FBI and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan W. Romine prosecuted the case.