$10M In HIV Meds Stolen From East Orange Veterans Hospital: Feds

EAST ORANGE, NJ — A former worker at a Veterans Affairs hospital in Essex County was indicted on several charges Tuesday after she allegedly helped to steal $10 million worth of HIV prescription medication, prosecutors say.

Lisa M. Hoffman, 48, of Orange, is accused of stealing prescription HIV medications from the pharmacy of the Veterans Affairs Medical Center (VAMC) in East Orange, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said.

Prosecutors released the following allegations on Tuesday:

“From October 2015 through November 2019, Hoffman was a procurement officer at the VAMC, who used her authority to order large quantities of HIV prescription medications so that she could steal the excess. After the medications arrived, Hoffman waited until co-workers were out of sight and then removed them from the VAMC. Once Hoffman stole the medications, she met her associate, Wagner Checonolasco, generally at Hoffman’s residence, so that Hoffman could provide the stolen HIV medications to Checonolasco in exchange for cash. Hoffman and Checonolasco used an encrypted messaging application to plan and execute their thefts and sales of the stolen HIV medications, including arranging for the medications-for-cash exchanges. After obtaining the stolen HIV medications from Hoffman, Checonolasco sold them.”

According to federal prosecutors, Hoffman and Checonolasco stole about $10 million worth of HIV medications belonging to the VAMC during the conspiracy.

Hoffman was charged by indictment with conspiracy, theft of government property and theft of medical products.

According to prosecutors, the conspiracy charge is punishable by a maximum penalty of five years in prison. The theft of government property charge is punishable by a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison. The charge of theft of medical products is punishable by a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison. Each charge also is punishable by a maximum fine of $250,000, or twice the gross pecuniary gain derived from the offense, or twice the gross pecuniary loss sustained by any victims of the offense, whichever is greatest. The theft of medical products charge also carries a civil penalty of $1 million, or three times the economic loss attributable to the offense.

Checonolasco, 33, of Lyndhurst, was previously charged with conspiracy to steal government property. That charge remains pending, prosecutors said.

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