High Roller at Casino Sentenced to 15 Years for Fake HIV Medicine Scheme
A high-roller from Miami has been given a 15-year prison sentence for distributing $230 million worth of fake and mislabeled HIV drugs to a wide network of wholesalers and pharmacies across the United States. These drugs were subsequently given to unsuspecting patients.
Lazaro Hernandez, 51, admitted to various charges associated with this counterfeit drug scheme in April 2023, as well as laundering the ill-gotten money through casinos and businesses.
Gambled Away Millions at Casinos
Records from a Las Vegas casino that sponsored Hernandez's private jet rides from Florida showed he was a frequent high-stakes gambler who lost millions of dollars at this one establishment alone.
The casino submitted several suspicious activity reports (SARs) on Hernandez, which remarked that he frequently walked into the casino with large sums of cash carried in plastic bags. He also lied to the casino staff about where the money came from, according to legal documents.
Authorities determined that Hernandez was gambling with the profits of the drug ring and utilized the casino to cleanse his money.
Hernandez, nicknamed "the Godfather" or "Fat Laz," was identified in court records as the "Kingpin defendant" in a large-scale drug counterfeiting operation that included more than 100 individuals and organizations.
The gang acquired costly prescription medications designed to cure illnesses including psychological issues, cancer, and HIV infections from various sources – some obtained through theft, burglary, and healthcare fraud, while others received them at deeply discounted prices through Medicare and Medicaid.
“Extreme Peril”
Hernandez and his accomplices established wholesale drug distribution companies in Florida, Connecticut, New Jersey, and New York to flood the market with phony drugs at significantly reduced prices compared to other operators. They fabricated brand names and forged paperwork to make the drugs appear legitimate.
In court documents, attorneys for Gilead Sciences, whose medical products the group attempted to replicate, stated: "The potential dangers these counterfeits pose are extreme. Those who unwittingly receive and consume these counterfeits may miss their HIV treatment or falsely believe they are safeguarded against HIV infection.
'The foreign drugs in the counterfeit bottles were never prescribed by those individuals' doctors and can lead to grave harm or death.”
Before his guilty plea, Hernandez was facing a maximum potential sentence of 100 years in prison.
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Source: www.casino.org
