CHARLESTON, W.Va. — Federal prosecutors charged a well-known Charleston pharmacy and its owner with committing fraud against Medicare and Medicaid.
Federal charges on Tuesday allege Trivillian’s pharmacist-in-charge Paula Butterfield lied about the prescription drugs the pharmacy was compounding and selling.
Being charged in a federal information usually means a defendant is cooperating with federal prosecutors.
Trivillian’s was raided by federal agents in September.
MORE: Read Trivillian’s charges
The federal charges allege Trivillian’s compounded prescription drugs and then billed Medicare and Medicaid for more expensive name-brand drugs, dispensed generic drugs and billed for for name-brand drugs, and billed for drugs that were never dispensed. The pharmacy also is charged with compounding drugs outside of a safe environment.
A separate information alleges Butterfield submitted false claims to Medicare on her own behalf, seeking payment for drugs that were never dispensed to her.
MORE: Read Butterfield charges
U.S. Attorney Booth Goodwin announced Tuesday his office has reached a civil settlement with Trivilllian’s and Butterfield for $1.1 million that will be forwarded to Medicare and Medicaid. Goodwin said the amount is more than three times the loss suffered by the health care agencies.
“Cheating Medicare and Medicaid is really cheating the American taxpayer,” Goodwin said in a news release. “Thanks to this settlement, money that was taken from the taxpayers by fraud can now be used to provide health care to the many people who depend on these programs.”
The business could be fined up to $1 million if convicted, and Butterfield could be sent to prison for up to five years.