Former western New York pharmaceutical sales rep denies all charges against him

BUFFALO, NEW YORK, UNITED STATES, December 7, 2022 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Michael Luehrsen, a former western New Yorker accused of defrauding insurance companies out of millions of dollars, is set to stand trial a second time despite being acquitted on more than 10 counts in his first trial. The jury in that trial was hung on several counts. Now, the government, in a move that can only be described as a waste of taxpayer resources, is forcing Luehrsen to undergo a costly and pointless legal process.

“One might imagine that the government has better things to do with its prosecutorial resources than relitigate a matter for which the first jury has already either cleared Michael or revealed there was insufficient evidence to convict,” said a spokesperson for Luehrsen’s defense. “But they apparently do not, which is unfortunate. The power imbalance here is shocking to those who are not familiar with the workings of the legal system. They have all the time and money in the world to put Michael through an ordeal, in spite of or perhaps because of their initial failures.”

Luehrsen, who now lives in Miami, was charged with money laundering, corruptly destroying evidence and conspiracy to commit health care fraud (CR-00120-LJV-JJM). Luehrsen has denied all charges against him and was found not guilty on money laundering and destroying evidence.

Luehrsen was a pharmaceutical sales representative who later owned a company called MedHype Typ. Prosecutors say that between 2014 and 2016, he and others started marketing “compounded medications” made by mixing, combining or altering the ingredients of a drug in order to create something tailored to an individual patient’s needs. Prosecutors say the compounded medications were not actually tailored to individuals’ needs but instead were made to contain ingredients with high reimbursement rates from health insurers.

Luehrsen states he had no responsibility for the creation or implementation of the compensation structure for the sale of the product, a non-narcotic opiate alternative cream marketed for pain, scars and wounds. Luehrsen has no previous criminal record, but is accused of being a criminal mastermind.

Luehrsen's first trial was an intense affair that left him financially drained, as he had to borrow money from his parents in order to hire a good lawyer and defend himself. Now, as he prepares for his second trial, he finds himself in a very different position.

The government froze Luehrsen's assets. Unless a judge releases his funds, Luehrsen has no choice but to work with a public defender. This puts him at a disadvantage, leading him to worry that he will not be able to get a fair trial.

Luehrsen is hoping the judge will allow him to use some of his assets to pay for his defense, but so far, they have not budged. According to the spokesperson, insurance companies had the ability to change the compensation structure at any time and that, as the salesperson, he should not be charged with felonies when he has not harmed or stolen from anyone.

The spokesperson added, “The government had its chance to prove guilt and it couldn’t… now it is just trying to outspend Michael and deplete all his resources. Plus, as Michael’s attorney from the first trial stated, ‘the government came up with a theory, and now it's tried to mold the evidence to fit the theory.’”

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