Matthew R. Molsen United States Attorney for the District of Nebraska | U.S. Attorney for the District of Nebraska
Paul M. Hughes, a 37-year-old former resident of Omaha, Nebraska, has been sentenced for obtaining a controlled substance by fraud and making a false statement to the government. The sentencing took place on June 4, 2025, in federal court in Omaha. United States District Judge Brian C. Buescher handed down concurrent sentences of 48 months for the drug charge and 54 months for the false statement offense. Following his imprisonment, Hughes will serve a three-year term of supervised release.
Hughes engaged in fraudulent activities between March 2020 and May 2021 by using his personal information along with fictitious entities "The Hughes and Company Foundation USA Coalition Company" and "The Hughes and Company Foundation USA Coalition- Virtual Infirmary." He submitted false information to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to acquire National Provider Identification (NPI) numbers.
On March 21, 2020, Hughes submitted an NPI Application with false details that misrepresented him as a physician and Advanced Registered Nurse Practitioner. This application led CMS to temporarily issue him an NPI number which he used to submit fake prescriptions to various pharmacies.
In March 2021, Hughes submitted a fraudulent prescription electronically to a local pharmacy using the name of an actual doctor as the prescriber. He admitted this act during an interview with law enforcement officials.
Wade Moon from the FDA Office of Criminal Investigations stated that such actions demonstrate "a reckless disregard for public health and safety." Linda T. Hanley from HHS-OIG emphasized that pretending to be legitimate healthcare providers undermines public trust in medical systems. Rafael Mattei from the DEA highlighted that this case involved multiple agencies working together to address serious crimes committed by Hughes.
The investigation was conducted by several agencies including the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General, U.S. Food and Drug Administration Office of Criminal Investigations, Drug Enforcement Administration, U.S. Social Security Administration Office of Inspector General, and Nebraska State Patrol.
