VERNON STROMAN, JR. has pled guilty fo federal kickback fraud charges involving his parents and WELLNESS PHARMACY.
STROMAN was once a promising young man whose federal felony conviction is a letdown to his family, friends and community.
STROMAN was once a member of the St. Johns County Jaguars, a semi-professional football team. A 1997 graduate of St. Augustine High School in 1997, he played football two years at FAMU, then enlisting in the Army, serving 1999-2005, including in Iraq and Afghanistan. STROMAN, an Elkton resident, was an AFLAC salesman and marketer for WELLNESS PHARMACY.
STROMAN was an avid (paid) political supporter of ex-Mayor JOSEPH LESTER BOLES, JR. in his failed 2014 re-election campaign.
STROMAN was a promising but unsuccessful 2012 candidate for the Anastasia Mosquito Control District of St. Johns County.
Prediction: possible probation in exchange for his candid truthful testimony against others involved in health care fraud. Stay tuned.
Here's the USDOJ press release:
U.S. Attorneys » Middle District of Florida » News
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Department of Justice
U.S. Attorney’s Office
Middle District of Florida
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Friday, August 4, 2017
St. Augustine Man Pleads Guilty To Accepting Illegal Kickbacks In Exchange For Nearly $180,000
Jacksonville, FL – Acting United States Attorney W. Stephen Muldrow announces that Vernon Stroman (40, St. Augustine) has pleaded guilty to violating the anti-kickback statute. He faces a maximum penalty of five years in federal prison.
According to the plea agreement, Stroman was a marketer and consultant for Wellness Pharmacy in St. Augustine. In this role, he was responsible for finding patients that had TRICARE insurance and could be referred to the pharmacy. Beginning on January 27, 2015, Stroman referred his parents to the pharmacy and provided them with prescriptions for several creams – including a “scar/post-op” cream and a “general pain/inflammation” cream. Neither of his parents had received a physician order attesting to the medical necessity of the cream. By submitting the prescriptions to Wellness Pharmacy, Stroman knew that the pharmacy intended to fill the prescriptions and submit claims for reimbursement.
Approximately one week after Stroman submitted the prescriptions to the pharmacy, he picked up the creams and purportedly paid the $102.00 in copayments. Stroman later admitted that he never paid these copayments; instead, he received $3,000.00 for “consulting services.” In total, from February to May 2015, Stroman received $50,461.75.
As a result of Stroman’s actions, Wellness Pharmacy submitted 18 claims for reimbursement for his parents. TRICARE paid Wellness Pharmacy a total of $178,193.40 for these prescriptions.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Defense Criminal Investigative Service. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jason Mehta.
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