A Temecula, California, man has been sentenced to federal prison for conspiring to commit healthcare kickbacks. Steven Donofrio, 49, was found guilty by a jury on May 5, 2023, following a two-week-long trial. Donofrio was sentenced to 42 months in federal prison on October 11, 2023. According to information presented in court, Donofrio conspired with others to pay and receive kickbacks in exchange for the referral of, and arranging for, healthcare business, specifically pharmacogenetic (PGx) tests. Pharmacogenetic testing, also known as pharmacogenomic testing, is a type of genetic testing that identifies genetic variations that affect how an individual patient metabolizes certain drugs. The illegal arrangement concerned the referral of PGx tests to clinical laboratories in Fountain Valley, California; Irvine, California; and San Diego, California. More than $28 million in illegal kickback payments were exchanged by those involved in the conspiracy. In December 2019, twelve individuals from three states were charged for their roles in the kickback conspiracy.
