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Pleasantville teacher, Ocean City schools custodian sentenced in benefits fraud case

  • State

Two men who admitted to using their state health benefits in a conspiracy to bilk the system out of millions were sentenced to federal prison Tuesday.
Richard Erick McAllister, 45, a former Pleasantville High School English teacher, was sentenced to 37 months in prison.
James Wildman, 46, who worked in maintenance for the Ocean City School District, was given a 46-month term.
Both men who admitted to being recruiters in the endeavor live in Marmora.
In 2015 and 2016, the two persuaded public workers to get expensive, medically unnecessary compounded medications that insurers then reimbursed for thousands of dollars per monthly supply.
McAllister previously admitted to making nearly a half-million dollars and costing the program more than $3.4 million.
James Wildman made more than $650,000, with more than $4.8 million submitted for prescriptions.
Teachers, firefighters, police officers and state troopers were targeted as recruits due to their high-dollar insurance coverage.
Wildman and conspirators working under him recruited public employees covered by the Pharmacy Benefits Administrator to fraudulently obtain compounded medications from the Compounding Pharmacy without any evaluation by a medical professional that they were medically necessary, the complaint said.
The pharmacy has been identified as Central Rexall Drugs Inc., out of Louisiana.
Chief Executive Officer Hayley Taff pleaded guilty in August to health care fraud conspiracy, and Central Rexall executives Christopher Kyle Johnston, Trent Brockmeier and Christopher Casseri were indicted on Sept. 16 for conspiracy to commit health care and wire fraud, conspiracy to commit identity theft, and money laundering charges.
In addition to the prison terms, both men were sentenced to three years of supervised release once their terms are completed. McAllister must pay $3.4 million in restitution and had to forfeit $456,806.
Wildman must repay $4.86 million in restitution and forfeit $657,040.

Others who have pleaded

Dr. John Gaffney, 55, of Linwood: Margate doctor must forfeit $25,000. Cost: $24.9 million

Michael Sher, 40, of Northfield: Margate firefighter must forfeit $1.7 million. Cost: tbd at sentencing

Mike Pepper, 45, of Northfield: Atlantic City firefighter must forfeit $113,627.54. Cost: $719,000

Shawn Sypherd, 46, of Marmora: Middle Township Middle School social studies teacher must forfeit $354,264.06. Cost: $2.4 million

Michael Pilate, 39, of Williamstown: Pleasantville schools counselor must forfeit $392,684.20. Cost: $3.5 million

Matthew Tedesco, 42, of Linwood: Pharmaceutical representative must forfeit $11.1 million. Cost: $28.7 million

Nicholas Tedesco, 44, of Linwood: local candy retailer must forfeit $782,766.56. Cost: $2 million

Tara LaMonaca, 43, of Linwood: Pharmaceutical representative must forfeit $89,855.13. Cost: $530,527

William Hunter, 43, of Sewell: Salesman must forfeit $245,020.08. Cost: $1.3 million

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Michael Neopolitan, 49, of Willow Grove, Pa.: Pharmaceutical representative must forfeit $198,617.14. Cost: $762,519

Judd Holt, 42, of Marlton: Pharmaceutical representative must forfeit $95,574.49. Cost: $769,762

George Gavras, 36, of Moorestown: Pharmaceutical representative must forfeit $204,002.02. Cost: $679,368.53

Steven Urbanski, 37, of Marlton: Pharmaceutical representative must forfeit $113,600. Cost: $250,000

Thomas Hodnett, 41, of Voorhees: Pharmaceutical representative must forfeit $270,000. Cost: $1.5 million

Robert Bessey, 43, of Philadelphia: Pharmaceutical representative must forfeit $485,540.09. Cost: $2.7 million

Richard Zappala, 45, of Northfield: Pharmaceutical representative must forfeit $1.5 million. Cost: $4.3 million

Andrew Gerstel, 39, of Galloway Township: Pharmaceutical representative must forfeit $184,389.05. Cost: $483,946

Timothy Frazier, 42, of Galloway Township: Commercial construction estimator must forfeit $145,425. Cost: $801,119

Robert Madonna, 36, of Florida: Former Margate mortgage consultant must forfeit $179,370. Cost: $2.1 million.

Kristie Abbott Masucci, 36, of Cedar Run: Pharmaceutical representative must forfeit amount to be determined at sentencing. Cost: $1.88 million.

STEWARTVILLE

JERSEY SHORE WEEKEND

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