Egleston Square pharmacist admits to AIDS-drug scam

The owner of the Egleston Square Pharmacy pleaded guilty today to two counts of conspiracy to defraud the government, the US Attorney's Office in Boston reports.

Aloysius Nsonwu, 64 and a resident of Roslindale, either submitted bogus claims to Medicare for AIDS drugs for patients who were not HIV-positive or submitted claims to Medicare for drugs for actual HIV-positive patients who agreed to accept cash payments instead of the medicine they were supposed to get, according to prosecutors.

Nsonwu made $100,000 with the fake prescriptions and $46,000 in the scheme to give HIV patients some money instead of drugs, the government says.

He could get up to 20 years in federal prison when sentenced May 11.

Nsonwu was indicted on similar state charges last year, involving $300,000 in allegedly bogus HIV-related reimbursement claims submitted to the state.