Pharmacist Aloyisius Nsonwu sentenced for Medicaid fraud

BOSTON - Prosecutors say a former Boston pharmacist has been sentenced to four years in jail for defrauding the Massachusetts Medicaid program of more than $555,000.

The state attoey general's office says 65-year-old Aloyisius Nsonwu (n-SOHN'-woo) of Roslindale fraudulently billed MassHealth for medications that were never prescribed by a doctor for dispended from his pharmacy.

Nsonwu was sentenced on Wednesday on charges of false Medicaid claims, larceny by false pretenses and conspiracy. He was also ordered to pay full restitution.

An investigation was launched in 2007. It found that Nsonwu submitted claims for various HIV drugs using the identification numbers of 25 MassHealth patients who had never received a prescription from a doctor.

He pleaded guilty to all charges in April.

His pharmacist's license was suspended in March 2010.