Attorney General's News Release

May 20, 1996

Federal jury finds Brookfield pharmacist guilty on 36 charges of defrauding Missouri Medicaid program

St. Louis, Mo. — A federal jury in St. Louis this morning convicted a Brookfield pharmacist on 36 counts of fraud against the Missouri Medicaid program.

Eldon L. Fisher, who did business as Medical Arts Pharmacy in Brookfield, was found guilty of submitting bills to the Medicaid program for prescription drugs that were not ordered by the physicians whose names were on the applications for payment. Medicaid policy only allows pharmacists to bill for prescription drugs ordered by a licensed practitioner.

Fisher was indicted by a federal grand jury in February at the request of Missouri Attorney General Jay Nixon and U.S. Attorney Ed Dowd. The indictment followed an investigation into Fisher's billing practices by the Attorney General's Medicaid Fraud Control Unit.

“This is another example of the cooperative efforts between the Attorney General's Office and the U.S. Attorney,” Nixon said. “We will continue to work closely to prosecute this type of fraud. Medicaid fraud is a crime that costs billions of dollars nationwide and victimizes all Missourians by driving up the cost of health care.”

In addition to finding Fisher guilty on 36 counts, the jury acquitted him on seven counts of Medicaid fraud and four counts of mail fraud.

Fisher faces up to five years in prison and/or a $250,000 fine on each of the 36 convictions. He is scheduled to be sentenced on Aug. 16 in federal district court in St. Louis.

Inquiries from consumers should be directed to consumer@ago.mo.gov or 1-800-392-8222 (from within Missouri) or 573-751-3321 (outside Missouri).

All media inquiries should be directed to Press Secretary John Fougere.

E-mail      Phone: 573-751-8844         Fax: 573-751-5818