Date: July 12, 2023 Contact: newsroom@ci.irs.gov Camden, NJ — Two New Jersey firefighters were sentenced to prison today for their respective roles in a multi-million-dollar health care fraud conspiracy, Attorney for the United States Vikas Khanna announced. Thomas Sher of Northfield, New Jersey, was sentenced to 96 months in prison. Sher, a Margate firefighter, was found guilty on Sept. 8, 2022, of one count of conspiracy to commit health care fraud and three counts of health care fraud following a 12-day trial before U.S. District Judge Robert B. Kugler in Camden federal court. Christopher Broccoli of West Deptford, New Jersey, was sentenced to 24 months in prison. Broccoli, a Camden firefighter, pleaded guilty before Judge Kugler on July 28, 2022, to a superseding information charging him with one count of conspiracy to commit health care fraud. According to documents filed in these cases, statements made in court, and the evidence at trial: Sher and Broccoli were part of a criminal conspiracy in which state and local government employees were recruited and compensated to receive medically unnecessary compound prescription medications. Sher and his direct conspirators recruited almost 70 people into the scheme and caused the pharmacy benefits administrator to pay out more than $7 million for medically unnecessary compound prescription medications. Sher directly received approximately $115,000 from the scheme. At today's sentencing, Judge Kugler likewise found that Sher obstructed justice when he lied during his trial testimony and when he attempted to tamper with witnesses and devise a cover-up story in advance of trial. Broccoli caused the pharmacy benefits administrator to pay out millions of dollars for medically unnecessary compound prescription medications for individuals he recruited into the scheme and directly received $150,315. To date, 50 people have been charged in the overarching conspiracy, and 46 defendants have pleaded guilty or been convicted at trial. Attorney for the United States Khanna credited special agents of the special agents of Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Tammy Tomlins in Newark; FBI's Atlantic City Resident Agency, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge James E. Dennehy in Newark; and the U.S. Department of Labor Office of Inspector General, New York Region, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Jonathan Mellone, with the investigation leading to the sentencings. The government is represented by Christina O. Hud, Senior Trial Counsel of the Office's Health Care Fraud Unit; Desiree L. Grace, Deputy Chief of the Criminal Division; and R. David Walk Jr., Deputy Chief of the Criminal Division.
