Sales Rep Sentenced in Kickback Case

The Department of Justice says that a Massachusetts federal court sentenced a sales representative for multiple healthcare companies to three years of probation in connection with obstructing an investigation into kickbacks paid to medical professionals. The government says that Terrence Tackett of Florence, KY, pleaded guilty in 5/2016 to one count of obstruction of a criminal investigation of healthcare offenses.

Tackett reportedly worked for Cardio Dx from 2012 to 2013 and for Aegerion Pharmaceuticals from 8/2013 to 2/2015. From 2012 through 2/2015, a Justice Department statement says, he gave medical professionals gift cards and personal checks in exchange for ordering or prescribing the products he promoted and to get access to private patient information protected by HIPAA.

During a 1/2015 meeting with investigators, Tackett reportedly falsely denied and attempted to conceal the kickbacks he had been paying to doctors and their staffs for years in Kentucky and southern Ohio.