A Margate doctor who admitted to conspiring to commit health care fraud was sentenced to 15 months in federal prison this week.
Brian Sokalsky, 46, admitted to his role in the scheme that took advantage of public employees' health benefits more than 1½ years ago, just as he was preparing to go to trial.
He is not expected to testify in the trials of the three remaining co-defendants.
He was one of three people indicted in June, and the last to plead guilty.
Matthew Tedesco — who previously pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit health care fraud — had an arrangement with Sokalsky to send the doctor new patients in exchange for Sokalsky prescribing them Compounding Pharmacy 1 medications, according to the indictment.
In exchange, Tedesco sent about 30 patients to Sokalsky's medical practice.
Sokalsky authorized medically unnecessary medications, including libido creams for young females and excessive quantities of the medications with the maximum number of refills selected.
When insurance stopped covering certain formulations of the medications, Tedesco informed Sokalsky that he needed to authorize new prescriptions. Sokalsky did so, often without seeing the individual for a follow-up visit or informing the person of the change in medication.
The fraudulent prescriptions cost insurance more than $5 million, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office.
Sokalsky, who also had a practice in Somers Point, faced a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a quarter-million fine.
But U.S. District Judge Edward Kiel "thoughtfully reviewed the evidence and the overwhelming support that Dr. Sokalsky had in the community and fashioned an individual sentence that took into account his serious mistake but also placed it into context with others involved in this scheme that were both more involved and received vastly greater sums of money," defense attorney Bill Hughes Jr. told BreakingAC.
Sokalsky made about $6,000 from his part, Hughes said.
He along with pharmaceutical sales representative Vincent Tornari, 50, of Linwood, and former advanced nurse practitioner Ashley Lyons-Valenti, 67, of Swedesboro, Gloucester County, were charged in a 33-count indictment in June 2020.
Tornari pleaded guilty on March 14, 2023, and Lyons-Valenti pleaded guilty on Feb. 28, 2023,. Both are awaiting sentencing.
In addition to the prison term, Kiel sentenced Sokalsky to three years of supervised release and ordered restitution of $5.13 million.
Dr. John Gaffney, 55, of Linwood: Margate doctor must forfeit $25,000. Cost: $24.9 million
Mike Pepper, 45, of Northfield: Atlantic City firefighter must forfeit $113,627.54. Cost: $719,000
Nicholas Tedesco, 44, of Linwood: local candy retailer must forfeit $782,766.56. Cost: $2 million
Tara LaMonaca, 43, of Linwood: Pharmaceutical representative must forfeit $89,855.13. Cost: $530,527
William Hunter, 43, of Sewell: Salesman must forfeit $245,020.08. Cost: $1.3 million
Judd Holt, 42, of Marlton: Pharmaceutical representative must forfeit $95,574.49. Cost: $769,762
Steven Urbanski, 37, of Marlton: Pharmaceutical representative must forfeit $113,600. Cost: $250,000
Corey Sutor, 37, of Ventnor: Ventnor firefighter, must forfeit $150,397.79. Cost: $2 million.
Mark Bruno, 45, of Northfield: Pharmaceutical representative, received $68,872. Cost: $524,935
