Gisele Thao Nguyen is a pharmacist who resides in Huntington Beach, California. Nguyen was the sole owner of Gisele Nguyen, Inc. d/b/a Natico Pharmacy, a community pharmacy that was operated at 10212 Westminster Av 109 Garden Grove, CA 92843.

Natico Pharmacy ceased operating in December 2018.

The United States alleged that, from at least Jan. 1, 2014, through Dec. 31, 2018, Nguyen fraudulently submitted claims to Part D of the Medicare Program for prescription medications that were never dispensed to beneficiaries.

According to the United States, inventory records showed that Natico Pharmacy did not purchase enough of these medications from wholesaler distributors to fill all of the prescriptions billed to Medicare.

Nguyen has agreed to pay $3,933,993 to resolve allegations that she fraudulently billed the Medicare Program for medications that were never dispensed.

Nguyen has reviewed her financial situation and warrants that she is solvent within the meaning of 11 U.S.C. §§ 547(b)(3) and 548(a)(l)(B)(ii)(I) and shall remain solvent following payment to the United States of the Settlement Amount.

According to the California Board of Pharmacy records, her license RPH 57192 status at this time is “clear.”

“Federal health care programs provide critical health care services to millions of Americans,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Brian M. Boynton, head of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “We will hold accountable those who seek to defraud these programs, including by billing for goods or services that they did not provide.”

The resolution obtained in this matter was handled by the Justice Department’s Civil Division, Commercial Litigation Branch, Fraud Section, with assistance from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California.

The investigation and resolution of this matter illustrates the government’s emphasis on combating health care fraud. Tips and complaints from all sources about potential fraud, waste, abuse, and mismanagement, can be reported to the Department of Health and Human Services at 800-HHS-TIPS (800-447-8477).

The matter was investigated by Senior Trial Counsel Jennifer Cihon, with assistance from Assistant U.S Attorney Zoran J. Segina for the Central District of California.