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WESTCHESTER---A Westchester pharmacist has pleaded guilty to counts of first degree grand larceny in connection with multiple insurance fraud scams.
Prosecutors said Neil Norwood, 48, of 7 Woodsford Bend, Briarcliff, filed numerous fraudulent insurance claims from Jan. 1, 2000 to June, 2005, with a number of providers including Medicaid, EPIC, CIGNA and Oxford Health Care. In response to a civilian complaint, the Westchester County District Attorney's Office and the New York State Attorney General's Medicaid Fraud Unit began an investigation into the allegations.
The investigation uncovered fraudulent transactions at two pharmacies in Westchester County, one at 59 North Broadway in Tarrytown and one at 777 North Broadway in Sleepy Hollow, both owned by Norwood.. He employed several different tactics to perpetrate the fraud including the shorting of customer prescriptions, engaging in phantom billing and improperly substituting generic medications.
The fraudulent transactions totaled over three million dollars and put each of the pharmacy's customers at medical risk by providing them with less medication than prescribed by their physician.
The Tarrytown Police Department, The New York State Department of Education Office of Professional Discipline, CIGNA Insurance and Oxford Health Care all assisted and were instrumental in the investigation.
Norwood is scheduled to be sentenced March 20 when he faces a minimum of eight and one third to a maximum of 25 years in state prison, full restitution and the surrendering of his license to practice pharmacy. 12-22-06
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© 2006 North
Country Gazette
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