Philly man gets 15 months in multimillion-dollar health benefits scheme

A Philadelphia man was sentenced to 15 months in prison for his role in a scheme that defrauded state health benefits programs out of millions.

Robert Bessey, 49, had to forfeit $485,540 and must pay $2.69 million in restitution.

He previously pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit health care fraud, and was sentenced Thursday in Camden federal court.

Bessey was a recruiter who, from January 2015 through April 2016, persuaded others to obtain expensive and medically unnecessary compounded medications from an out-of-state pharmacy, according to the case. The conspirators learned that a pharmacy benefits administrator would reimburse pharmacies thousands of dollars for a one-month supply of certain prescription compounded medications, including pain, scar, antifungal and libido creams, as well as more than $10,000 per month for certain vitamin combinations.

The pharmacy benefits administrator managed the prescription drug benefit plan for some state and local government and education employees, including teachers, firefighters, municipal police officers and state troopers.

The conspirators recruited public employees and other individuals 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.

Upon completion of his term, Bessey will have two years of supervised release.

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.