A Florida-based pharmacy, Assured Rx, LLC, has been ordered to pay $39 million for its involvement in a kickback scheme with retired Connecticut state employees, according to a Hartford Superior Court ruling announced by Connecticut Attorney General William Tong.
The company is required to pay treble damages, amounting to $39 million, along with additional civil penalties.
The scheme, which began in 2018, involved Assured Rx making illegal payments to retired Connecticut Department of Correction employee Nicholas Maulucci and his ex-wife, Lisette Martinez, who was employed by the pharmacy.
The pair allegedly recruited other retired state employees to obtain expensive compound drug prescriptions under a taxpayer-funded program.
The fraudulent prescriptions reportedly cost the state nearly $10 million.
Attorney General Tong praised the ruling as a major victory for Connecticut taxpayers, emphasizing that the decision conveys a strong stance against misuse of public funds.
