TAMPA, Fla. — A judge sentenced former pharmaceutical sales representative Daniel Tondre toFour years in prisonon Thursday to play his role inProsecutors call it a “bribe,” and a kickback conspiracy to”Prescribe” between 2012 and 2013. and 2015.
This sentencing takes place a week after Dr. Steven Chun was sentenced toThree andA half years. A jury found them guilty in May inThere is a conspiracy to kickback healthcare fraud toPrescription of a highly addictive fentanyl-based spray.
The ABC Action News I-Team was the first to report on Dr. Steven Chun in2019 after federal data revealed that Insys drugmaker paid him more then $275,000 since 2013. to2015, which at one point placed him among the highest-paid doctors in the company.
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Subsys is a fentanyl spray manufactured by Insys Therapeutics. Insys paid Dr. Chun to talk andTo educate others about opioids, the federal government claimed that Chun’s “speaker program”, which Chun was part of, was a “sham”. toIncrease the dosage toMore patients andYou can fill your pockets with salesReps andThe company.
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Subsys, an fentanyl spray
Prosecutors claimed that a kickback conspiracy was behind Sarasota’s pain management. doctor”Scribing” andInsys was the fuel for this. andTondre who was Dr. Chun, performed the procedure inHis territory.
Tondre received a sentencing hearing from the government. salesReps inTondre also showed “astonishing lack of remorse” in other parts of the country.
Tondre is the neighbor of his ex-wife’s spouse. andHis wife, who was pregnant with their second baby, and all of his children were there inCourt toSpeak toHis character, he says he is compassionate andA person who is always enthusiastic to help.
Tondre spoke then and”I accept responsibility for the wrongs I have done.”
Tondre stated that he isn’t greedy andHe “simply fluffed sign language”in sheets.”
These signs-inThe sheets included names of speakers who weren’t present.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Kelley Howard Allen said, “It impacts patient treatment.” “And the patient’s capability toTrust their doctors. This compromises the independent medical judgment of healthcare professionals.
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The government claimed that the payments were illegal kickbacks during the trial. andBribes with forged signsinSheets and signatures can be copied and pasted, andLow attendance is often only possible by friends andFamily at the speaker programs. As the payments came inFederal prosecutors proved that Chun’s prescriptions had gone up.
In an email statement toThe I-Team in2019, Dr. Chun explained that the speaker presentations had no effect on my prescribing habits. I have been dedicated my entire life. to my patients andthey have received the best medical care.”
Chun’s attorney argued inClosing statements: “He could not be bribed.” andThat he believed inSubsys is the product. andThe medication was inHis patients’ best interests. He claimed that he didn’t know Insys was tracking prescriptions that were paid for. inWhole or in part inMedicare will cover part of your medical expenses.
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Dr. Steven Chun
Tondre’s attorney stated inHis final argument was that he had no control over the kickback fraud scheme. andInsys placed pressure on her.
Federal prosecutors displayed a text incourt, referring toChun, as they say “He knows numbers are low; he is working on it.”
A woman attended Dr. Chun’s sentencing hearing. toPlease share your experiences as a former client.
“I was a patient of Dr. Chun since 2005. I had only been in Florida a few months; I had costochondritis,” Carol Albrecht said. “He gave me Oxycodone, Oxycontin, then a couple months later, I was like the original fentanyl girl.”
Albrecht saw Chun until 2013. It was during those years. yearsShe spiraled into an addiction.
She blamed Chun for prescribing.
“He addicted me. Without me even knowing it,” Albrecht said. “My life is never going to be the same. And I thought I should share that with him.”
Albrecht claimed she had faith in Dr. Chun andShe was present at court toSpeak for other patients. and dead.
She turned in the federal courtroom. to Chun and said, “You deserve every minute that you’re going to spend in prison.”
Chun apologized toThe court and his family andHowever, he said that his intentions were pure and that he wanted to help his patients. to help patients andNever prescribe anything that is not medically necessary.
He said: “Money wasn’t my motivator. It was doing the right thing for patients.”
Chun expressed regret that he didn’t see what was happening behind him back. Insys were targeting him as an speaker.
A friend of mine then spoke. andChun stated that he was “most happy when treating his patients.”
“When a doctor accepts kickbacks to prescribe a particular drug, a certain drug, without considering other options, not only does that subvert the integrity of the healthcare system, but it potentially puts patients at risk,” Assistant Special Agent in Charge Ryan Lynch, with the Department of Health and Human Services Office of the Inspector General in Tampa, said. “There should be a level of trust that if the doctor’s prescribing it, this is really what you need and it’s the best option.”
The judge agreed. inCourt of Chun: “We’re there because he had to have his paws out in order to make money.”
Albrecht stated that she was disappointed inThe sentence.
“My life’s ruined and he’s just going toSpend a few years in prison”
Chun andTondre have each 14-day grace period to appeal. They will surrender on February 1st, unless there are any other changes.
HHS OIG: Submit a Complaint
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