A Florida man, identified as 77-year-old Franz "Frank" Peter Suess from Wellington, has been charged with a myriad of felonies connected to an alleged shady pharmacy and healthcare kickback operation, according to a federal indictment dated July 16. Suess is facing six counts in total, including one for conspiracy to commit wire fraud and healthcare fraud, four counts related to kickbacks in healthcare, and one count of conspiracy to defraud the United States, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office, Central District of Illinois.
Details outlined in the indictment suggest that Suess's activities date back to March 2014 and were only halted in October 2023. He is accused of purchasing and covertly controlling a multitude of pharmacies under the premise of third-party ownership, converting these local retailers into mail-order operations, despite maintaining control and continuing to profit from them. Suess systematically misled various healthcare providers, concealing his involvement and falsely certifying compliance with anti-kickback laws to secure prescriptions for these pharmacies, in the case of McHugh Drug Store purchased in July 2017, in Carthage, Illinois, as per the U.S. Attorney's Office, Central District of Illinois, it's alleged that he did not shy away from bribery for submissions.
Upon conviction, Suess might be condemned to forfeit assets tied to his crime's proceeds and face a slew of penalties, including up to 20 years imprisonment for the fraud conspiracy charge, a maximum of 10 years for each kickback count, and no more than five years for the conspiracy to defraud the United States, along with potential fines of $250,000 or double the pecuniary gain/loss per count, and possible supervised release after serving time, as detailed by the U.S. Attorney's Office, Central District of Illinois. Suess is summoned to appear in front of Magistrate Judge Jonathan E. Hawley on August 23, in the Peoria federal courthouse in Illinois.
