TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – This week, Chief U.S. District Judge L. Scott Coogler sentenced two dozen defendants who were part of a major conspiracy to commit health care fraud, announced U.S. Attorney Prim F. Escalona, Federal Bureau of Investigation Special Agent in Charge Johnnie Sharp, Jr., U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General, Special Agent in Charge Derrick L. Jackson, Defense Criminal Investigative Service Special Agent in Charge Cynthia Bruce, United States Postal Inspector in Charge, Houston Division, Adrian Gonzalez, and Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation Special Agent in Charge James E. Dorsey.
The defendants sentenced included an array of company executives and managers, a prescriber, billers, and sales representatives. Among those sentenced this week were:
John Jeremy Adams, 40, of Panama City Beach, Florida, the president and CEO of Global Compounding Pharmacy (Global), who directed the fraud and made millions from it, was sentenced to 170 months in prison on one count of conspiring to commit health care fraud and mail fraud, 19 counts of health care fraud, one count of conspiring to pay kickbacks to a prescriber, and 8 counts of spending the proceeds of health care fraud. Adams pleaded guilty to the charges in May 2020.
James A Mays, III, 45, of Winfield, Ala., was sentenced to 102 months in prison on one count of conspiring to commit health care fraud and mail fraud, twelve counts of health care fraud, and three counts of money laundering based on spending the proceeds of health care fraud. Mays was the pharmacist who handled Global’s compounding operation and made millions during the conspiracy. Mays pleaded guilty to the charges in February 2021.
Jessica Linton, 38, of Clearwater, Florida, was sentenced to 132 months in prison on one count of conspiracy, thirteen counts of health care fraud, three counts of mail fraud, and seven counts of aggravated identity theft. Linton was the manager in charge of Global’s billing center; she altered and added prescriptions, billed insurers for medically unnecessary prescriptions, and helped hide the fraud from auditors. In February 2021, a federal jury convicted Linton of these charges.
John Gladden, 51, of Tallahassee, Florida, was sentenced to 64 months in prison on one count of conspiracy, six counts of health care fraud, one count of mail fraud, and one count of aggravated identity theft. Gladden, a district manager for Global during most of 2015, directed his sales representatives to get medically unnecessary prescriptions for themselves and their family members and profited from the scheme. In February 2021, a federal jury convicted Gladden of these charges.
Phillip Marks, 52, of St. Augustine, Florida, was sentenced to 36 months in prison on one count of conspiracy and twelve counts of health care fraud. Marks served as a manager of the sales managers and, in 2015, pressured subordinates to get unnecessary prescriptions for themselves and their family members. Marks made more than $400,000 during his time at Global. He pleaded guilty to the charges in September 2018.
News article: https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndal/pr/multiple-defendants-sentenced-major-compounding-pharmacy-fraud-conspiracy