Ventnor firefighter is 24th to plead guilty in Shore prescription drug benefits scheme

A Ventnor firefighter became the 24th person to plead guilty Friday in a vast conspiracy to use New Jersey public employee health benefits that spread $50 million among dozens of firefighters, drug salesmen, teachers, and police officers at the Shore.

Edward Sutor Jr., 36, of Linwood, pleaded guilty to his role in obtaining payments for prescriptions fraudulently obtained totaling $2.7 million, which he agreed to pay back in restitution. Prosecutors said he personally netted $335,551.81, an amount he agreed to forfeit as part of his guilty plea.

Sentencing was set for July 17. Sutor faces up to 10 years in prison on one count of conspiracy to commit health care fraud.

Sutor’s cousin Corey Sutor, also a Ventnor firefighter, pleaded guilty in December to a similar charge. The cousins were accused of creating a company, known as Company One, to market compound medications to state, local, and school employees whose benefit plans covered the medications, which were reimbursed at amounts up to $10,000 a month.

Edward Sutor’s attorney, John Zarych, said his client had resigned from the Ventnor Fire Department earlier on Friday. Zarych said he worked for the department for 5½ years.

“You knew what you were doing was wrong and against the law?” U.S. District Judge Robert Kugler asked Sutor in court Friday afternoon. “Yes, your honor,” he responded.

Firefighters from Margate and Atlantic City have also pleaded guilty, as have school employees from Pleasantville. Sentencings are set to begin in July.

Last month, seven people were indicted in the scheme, including William Hickman, a mastermind alleged to have worked with the late accused murderer Dr. James Kauffman, and Brian Pugh, a co-owner of Tony’s Baltimore Grill in Atlantic City. Two Margate firefighters and a Ventnor police officer were also indicted and have pleaded not guilty.

Sutor’s involvement in the scheme was dated between May 2015 and February 2016.

The Shore towns have been bracing for even further fallout as the cases proceed, and Atlantic County Prosecutor Damon Tyner has said that he intends to move on lower-level cases once the federal cases are finished.