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Former pharmacist in Neligh and Tilden sentenced to prison, ordered to pay $573,000 for prescription fraud

By: Paul Hammel - November 20, 2023 7:36 pm

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LINCOLN — The former owner of pharmacies in Neligh and Tilden has been sentenced to prison and ordered to pay more than $573,000 in restitution to Medicare and Medicaid for prescription fraud.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office said Danelle Charf, 49, of Neligh, had billed for name-brand prescriptions but supplied customers with generic brands, and had submitted hundreds of reimbursement claims for prescriptions that were never filled.

A tip led to an investigation into the Tilden Pharmacy and Wanek Pharmacy in Neligh. The probe by the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services and Nebraska Attorney General’s Office began in the fall of 2020.

On Monday, U.S. District Judge Robert Rossiter sentenced Charf to two months’ imprisonment, along with three years of supervised release and required payment of $573,337 in restitution to Medicare and Medicaid.

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Paul Hammel

Senior Reporter Paul Hammel has covered the Nebraska state government and the state for decades. Previously with the Omaha World-Herald, Lincoln Journal Star and Omaha Sun, he is a member of the Omaha Press Club's Hall of Fame. He grows hops, brews homemade beer, plays bass guitar and basically loves traveling and writing about the state. A native of Ralston, Nebraska, he is vice president of the John G. Neihardt Foundation.