Ex-Ventnor firefighter gets year and a day in multimillion-dollar health benefits

An Egg Harbor Township man was sentenced to 12 months and a day in federal prison for his role in a scheme to steal millions from state health benefits programs.

Corey Sutor, 42, was a Ventnor firefighter when he became an owner in a company formed to market prescription compounded medications.

He pleaded guilty in 2018.

The scheme was formed after the conspirators learned the New Jersey State Health Benefits Program and the School Employees’ Health Benefits Program would pay thousands monthly to reimburse these medications.

Doctors aided the scheme by writing unnecessary prescriptions.

Sutor’s company would receive a percentage of the money paid to compounding pharmacies for prescriptions secured by Sutor and his conspirators.

They also recruited public employees, offering them hundreds of dollars per month, and persuaded them to agree to obtain prescription compounded medications they did not need without any physical examination by a medical professional.

Sutor gave the insurance and personal information from the public employees to his co-conspirators.

The state insurers paid more than $2 million in fraudulent claims for compounded medications for public employees, with Sutor receiving $150,398 in gross proceeds for his role.

Sutor will have two years of supervision upon his release.

He also must forfeit the proceeds and pay restitution of at least $2.09 million.

PLEAS

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

Richard Erick McAllister, 42, of Ocean City: Pleasantville High School English teacher must forfeit $456,806.23. Cost: $3.4 million

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

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.

James Wildman, 44, of Marmora: Ocean City schools maintenance worker, must forfeit $657,040. Cost: $4.9 million.

Corey Sutor, 37, of Ventnor: Ventnor firefighter, must forfeit $150,397.79. Cost: $2 million.

Ed Sutor Jr., 36, of Linwood: Ventnor firefighter, must forfeit 335,551.81. Cost. $2.7 million.

Mark Bruno, 45, of Northfield: Pharmaceutical representative, received $68,872. Cost: $524,935

Brian Pugh, 45, of Absecon: running BP Med, must forfeit amount determined at sentencing. Cost $1.47 million.

Thomas Schallus, 45, of Northfield: Ventnor police officer, must forfeit amount determined at sentencing. Cost $477,958.

John Sher, 40, of Margate: Margate firefighter, received $327,897.

Christopher Broccoli, 50, of West Deptford: Received $150,315.