United States Attorney Mary Beth Buchanan announced today, July 3, 2008, that Peter Antinopoulos, a former Beaver County pharmacist who operated stores in New Brighton and Monaca, has been sentenced in federal court in Pittsburgh to 57 months in prison on his convictions for fraud and illegal drug distribution.

Senior United States District Judge Alan N. Bloch imposed the sentence on Antinopoulos, age 57.  In addition to the jail sentence, Antinopoulos was ordered to pay restitution in a total amount of $683,000, with the first payment of $33,000 being due in 10 days.

According to information presented to the court by Assistant United States Attorney James Y. Garrett, between January 2003 and September 2005 Antinopoulos defrauded the Pennsylvania Department of Welfare, several insurance companies and a pharmaceutical manufacturer of more than $680,000 by claiming and receiving payments for fictitious transactions.  The Department of Welfare, which administers the Medicaid program, and the insurance companies disbursed payments of more than $200,000 to Antinopoulos for medications that were not received or needed by the named individual beneficiaries.  McKesson, the pharmaceutical manufacturer, lost approximately $480,000 for redemption of promotional rebate coupons in connection with other fictitious transactions submitted by Antinopoulos.

In addition, in May 2003 Antinopoulos illegally provided a large quantity of pain pills to a customer, knowing no valid prescription had been written for the medication by any physician.

Prior to imposing sentence, Judge Bloch stated that the sentence was appropriate to reflect the wide-ranging character of the fraudulent scheme, and the defendant's violations of his position of trust as a pharmacist.

Ms. Buchanan commended the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Drug Enforcement Administration, and the Medicaid Fraud Control Unit of the Pennsylvania Attorney General for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Antinopoulos.