Two pharmacy owners and a physician have been convicted for their role in a healthcare fraud, money laundering and tax evasion scheme.
David Nourian and Christopher Rydberg, who owned and operated three pharmacies in Fort Worth and Arlington, Texas, conspired to pay Michael Taba, MD, and other physicians to prescribe medically unnecessary compound creams to injured federal workers, according to a Nov. 17 news release from the Justice Department.
From May 2014 to March 2017, Mr. Nourian and Mr. Rydberg allegedly paid Dr. Taba for referring the medication to be filled by their pharmacies. In total, they billed the Labor Department's workers' compensation program and Blue Cross Blue Shield more than $145 million in unnecessary prescriptions.
The two pharmacy workers attempted to conceal their gains by laundering their money through fake holding companies and attempted to evade paying federal income taxes, according to the release.