By: Tracie Carter
A Staten Island man who operated a specialty pharmacy in Linden, New Jersey, has pleaded guilty to defrauding Medicare and Medicaid by submitting falsified prescription claims, according to a statement released by the U.S. Department of Justice.
Thomas Conzo, 49, entered his plea before U.S. District Judge Michael A. Shipp in Trenton federal court, admitting to one count of health care fraud in connection with the scheme that spanned from August 2022 to March 2023.
Conzo, the owner of Elite Pharmacy in Linden, submitted hundreds of thousands of dollars in fraudulent claims to government health care programs using the credentials of pharmacists who were not affiliated with the pharmacy and had not reviewed or authorized the prescriptions.
The charge carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000, or twice the amount of financial loss or gain from the offense, whichever is greater.
Sentencing is scheduled for December 4, 2025.
According to the U.S. Department of Justice, the case stresses the ongoing efforts to protect the integrity of federally funded health care systems.