By: Yuritza Arroyo
Federal officials announced that a former Pennsville advanced practice nurse today admitted defrauding New Jersey state and local health benefits programs and other insurers by submitting fraudulent claims for medically unnecessary prescriptions.
According to federal officials, Ashley Lyons-Valenti, 66, of Swedesboro, pleaded guilty today by videoconference to an information charging her with one count of conspiring to commit health care fraud.
Officials say Lyons-Valenti was previously charged with Vincent Tornari, 49, of Linwood, and Brian Sokalsky, 44, of Margate, in a 33-count indictment in June 2020.
According to authorities, the charges against Tornari and Sokalsky remain pending, and they are set to proceed to trial later this year.
The charges and allegations against Tornari and Sokalsky are merely accusations, and they are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
According to court documents and statements made in court:
Compounded medications are specialty medications mixed by a pharmacist to meet the specific medical needs of an individual patient.
Court documets state that although compounded drugs are not approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), they are properly prescribed when a physician determines that an FDA-approved medication does not meet the health needs of a particular patient, such as if a patient is allergic to a dye or other ingredient.
Lyons-Valenti was previously an advanced practice nurse at a medical office in Pennsville.
Authorities say at the same time, Tornari hired Lyons-Valenti’s live-in boyfriend to be a sales representative for his company which promoted compound medications, even though Lyons-Valenti’s boyfriend had no background or experience in medicine and pharmaceutical sales.
Tornari and Lyons-Valenti’s boyfriend had an agreement that the boyfriend would receive a commission on all prescriptions authorized by Lyons-Valenti.
According to officials, Lyons-Valenti then authorized numerous medically unnecessary prescription medications associated with Tornari and her boyfriend – including for her patients, staff members and co-workers at the medical office where she worked, and her children – for the sole purpose of financially benefitting herself, her boyfriend, and Tornari.
In exchange for authorizing the prescriptions, Lyons-Valenti’s boyfriend paid her half of his commissions that he received from Tornari.
As a result of the scheme, health insurance paid over $1.2 million for medically unnecessary medications and Lyons-Valenti received over $90,000 in kickbacks for signing the prescriptions.
Officials say as part of her plea agreement, Lyons-Valenti also admitted to attempting to obstruct or impede the administration of justice with respect to the investigation of the health care fraud conspiracy by trying to influence the testimony of a grand jury witness.
Lyons-Valenti faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
Sentencing is scheduled for July 11.
