Bergen Man Gets 42 Months In Prison For Stealing $8.2 M In HIV Medication From VA

BERGEN COUNTY, NJ — A Bergen County man who pleaded guilty to his role in stealing prescription HIV medicine from the Department of Veterans Affairs will spend 42 months in prison, officials say.

Wagner "Wanny" Checonolasco, 34, of Lyndhurst was sentenced Thursday, according to the United States Attorney's Office for the District of New Jersey.

Checonolasco and Lisa M. Hoffman, 48, of Orange were involved in a scheme to take medication belonging to the VA. They stole about $8.2 million worth of HIV medicine, according to officials.

Hoffman "used her position as a procurement official at the VAMC to order large quantities of HIV prescription medications so that she could steal the excess medication and then sell it to Checonolasco, who then resold it for a profit," according to a news release. She previously pleaded guilty and is scheduled for sentencing March 9.