Manhattan Pharmacists Bilked NY Medicaid System, Prosecutors Say

TRIBECA, NY — A Manhattan pharmacy owner and one of her pharmacists bilked the state Medicaid system out of $3 million, prosecutors said.

Hin Wong, who owns three pharmacies in Downtown Manhattan, and a pharmacist who worked with her were both indicted on grand larceny charges this month, state attorney general Eric Schneiderman announced. Wong had previously been arrested in August, but a subsequent investigation revealed additional fraud at her pharmacies, Schneiderman's office said.

Wong and Mery Gooden, the supervising pharmacist of NYC Pharmacy, stole at least $3 million by charging the state Medicaid and Medicare systems for prescriptions they didn't dispense, according to authorities.

During an undercover investigation, the two pharmacists paid undercover agents kickbacks for bringing their prescriptions to one of Wong's pharmacis, and then billed the state for prescription refills that were never distributed, Schneiderman's office said.

"Pharmacists’ most important duty must be to the welfare of their patients – not lining their own pockets," Schneiderman said in a statement. "The blatant theft and abuse of Medicaid is reprehensible and will not be tolerated by my office."

When authorities arrested Wong in August, they said she used the stolen money to purchase luxury goods for herself, like Prada and Louis Vuitton accessories, expensive furniture and travel expenses.

Patch was not immediately able to contact an attorney for Wong or Gooden.

Lead image via John Moore / Staff / Getty Images News.