Lady Justice
A 55-year-old McAllen man has pleaded guilty to conspiring to pay kickbacks in exchange for prescription referrals, U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani announced today. John Ageudo Rodriguez, a licensed pharmacist, owned and operated Pharr Family Pharmacy, located in Pharr, Texas. Rodriguez admitted to paying over $24 million in kickbacks to marketers who facilitated referrals of prescriptions for expensive compound drugs to his pharmacy.
Between 2014 and 2016, Rodriguez’s pharmacy charged over $110 million to multiple federal health care programs for these compounded medications. The scheme included several marketers who had ties to doctors and clinics, enabling them to funnel prescriptions to Rodriguez’s pharmacy in return for illicit payments.
Rodriguez’s guilty plea comes after a series of similar admissions from marketers involved in the extensive kickback scheme. The case highlights a major fraud operation that exploited the federal health care system for financial gain.
Chief U.S. District Judge Randy Crane accepted Rodriguez’s plea and set sentencing for March 25. The pharmacist now faces up to five years in federal prison and a potential fine of up to $250,000. Despite the upcoming sentencing, Rodriguez has been allowed to remain on bond until the hearing.
