The state of Connecticut is attempting to recover almost $11 million of taxpayer money it says was lost to an illegal kickback scheme run through the pharmacy benefit plan for state employees.
Attorney General George Jepsen’s office is suing a Florida based compounding pharmacy and 12 current or former state employees who are alleged to have participated.
Jepsen said a former employee of the Department of Corrections, Nicholas Malucci and his then-wife Lisette were the ringleaders, conspiring with the pharmacy to request expensive, custom-formulated drugs, and receiving a kickback for their orders.
“This is simply outrageous," Jepsen told Connecticut Public Radio. "The individuals involved should be ashamed of themselves. This is an ongoing investigation, and we expect that anybody who benefited from the scheme, regardless of how much or how little, will face legal consequences.”
This is the second lawsuit connected to an investigation launched by the state in 2014, related to a big jump in the cost of compound drugs paid for by the Connecticut Pharmacy Benefit Plan.
The suit seeks triple damages and civil penalties.
