A Bergen County man was sentenced to 42 months in prison for role in a scheme to steal prescription HIV medication from the Department of Veterans Affairs. Wagner Checonolasco, aka “Wanny,” 34, of Lyndhurst, New Jersey, previously pleaded guilty before US District Judge Esther Salas to an information charging him with conspiring to steal government property. According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court: From August 2017 through Nov. 20, 2019, Checonolasco conspired with Lisa M. Hoffman and others to steal HIV medication belonging to the US Department of Veterans Affairs. Hoffman allegedly stole the medication from the pharmacy of her employer, the Veterans Affairs Medical Center (VAMC) in East Orange, New Jersey, and then sold the stolen medication to Checonolasco for cash. Hoffman used her position as a procurement official at the VAMC to order large quantities of HIV prescription medications so that she could steal the excess medication and then sell it to Checonolasco, who then resold it for a profit. Checonolasco and Hoffman stole approximately $8.2 million worth of HIV medication belonging to the VAMC. In addition to the prison term, Judge Salas sentenced Checolonasco to three years of supervised release and ordered restitution of $8.2 million. Hoffman, 48, of Orange, New Jersey, previously pleaded guilty to her role in the scheme and is scheduled to be sentenced on March 9, 2022.
