Forest Hills Man Accused Of $6.9M Phony Drug Rebate Scheme: Feds

FOREST HILLS, QUEENS — A Forest Hills man is accused of pocketing $6.9 million in reimbursements for pricey medications that his pharmacies never dispensed, federal prosecutors announced Friday.

Arkadiy Khaimov faces federal conspiracy charges in connection with the scheme, which started in February 2017 and involved more than a year's worth of phony reimbursement claims based on prescriptions written by an unnamed Nassau County doctor, according to a news release.

Khaimov, 37, is accused of using a drug manufacturer's co-pay coupon program to get millions of dollars worth of drug reimbursement payments sent to three New York City pharmacies he ran, including two in Queens, prosecutors said.

Federal prosecutors declined to name the manufacturer and medication involved in the case.

Prosecutors said Khaimov and two co-conspirators requested reimbursements for 18-day or 21-day supplies of the drug so they could file two reimbursement claims a month, even though pharmacists typically give four weeks' worth of the drug at a time.

"It’s utterly discouraging to see people capitalize on any initiative designed to contribute to the greater good, but when the crime is healthcare related, and manufacturers stand to lose millions, nobody wins in the long run," FBI Assistant Director-in-Charge William F. Sweeney, Jr., said in a statement.

If convicted, Khaimov faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison.