Two former pharmacists sentenced in $800K healthcare fraud conspiracy
Two former pharmacists who pleaded guilty for their role in a healthcare fraud scheme have been given prison sentences, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) confirmed on Monday.
Ricky Wayne Quinn, 71, and John Anthony Null, 56, were accused of defrauding government healthcare programs, including Medicare and Medicaid, of more than $800,000, pocketing the money for themselves.
Authorities said the duo were co-owners of a local retail drug store in Mississippi, Medical Plaza Pharmacy. Their fraud scheme, which involved submitting bogus claims to Medicare and Medicaid for pharmaceuticals they never dispensed to patients, was said to have occurred between 2017 and 2021.
The conspiracy centered on a handful of prescriptions, including insulin pens, asthma inhalers, “psychotropic medications,” all of which the DOJ said earned a premium for reimbursement.
Quinn and Null billed for the same substances multiple times, repeating incidents of fraud, court documents revealed.
Both men, in addition to their time in federal prison, are jointly responsible for repaying over $789,000 in restitution.
On June 29, Quinn was sentenced to 30 months in prison, to be served immediately. After release, he will be supervised by law enforcement for another three years.
Null was sentenced on April 20, 2026. He remains free, provided he complies with the conditions of supervised release for three years, authorities confirmed.
A collaborative investigation
This case was investigated and prosecuted by the federal government, working in close collaboration with the Mississippi Attorney General’s Office, an announcement from the DOJ stated.
"We are sending a clear message that here in Mississippi, we are committed to fighting waste, fraud, and corruption," Mississippi Attorney General Lynn Fitch said in a statement. "We are grateful for such strong partners at the Office of the Inspector General and U.S. Attorney’s Office. Working together, we are ensuring justice is served on behalf of Mississippi taxpayers."
The DOJ said the prosecution of the two men was made possible by President Donald Trump’s Administration’s Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, tasked with rooting out waste and abuse in healthcare.
Chad is an award-winning writer and editor with over 15 years of experience working in media. He has a decade-long professional background in healthcare, working as a writer and in public relations.