NYC Pharmacist allegedly steals millions from Medicaid to afford plastic surgery, luxury items

A Manhattan pharmacist is facing charges for allegedly swindling Medicaid out of millions and spending the money on luxury goods and plastic surgery.

Hin Wong, 49, a pharmacist and the owner of NY Pharmacy, is accused of offering kickbacks to patients and billing Medicaid for HIV medications that were never dispensed. In addition to criminal charges, authorities announced that they’ve filed a civil asset-forfeiture action against Wong, NY Pharmacy, and two other pharmacies she previously owned for $11 million in damages.

Wong would supposedly dole out kickbacks as Medicaid reimburses the pharmacy $2,000 per HIV patient every month, according to the New York Post. For more than three years, she allegedly auto-filled these prescriptions then billed Medicaid, but rarely provided the pills.

“Between January 1, 2014, and August 1, 2017, Wong’s pharmacies billed Medicaid and other insurers over $15 million for medications but allegedly purchased only a fraction of the amount of drugs necessary to fill those prescriptions,” the Attorney General’s Office alleged in Thursday’s press release.

The Attorney General’s Office accused the pharmacist of spending the funds on designer furniture, travel, plastic surgery, Louis Vuitton, and Prada. In light of the charges, the Attorney General’s Office filed a court order to freeze Medicaid bank accounts accessed by Wong, essentially stopping the supposed illegal cash flow.

“Stealing from Medicaid in order to purchase fancy accessories and travel tickets is absolutely shameful,” the Attorney General Eric T. Schneiderman said.

“We will not allow Medicaid to serve as a personal piggy bank for criminals. Fraudsters who seek to rip-off this vital program that helps millions of New Yorkers will be held accountable.”

Wong was reportedly arraigned Thursday on grand larceny and other related charges. Her bail was set at $500,000.

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