Mundelein pharmacist sentenced to 7 years

A Mundelein man who worked as a pharmacist on the north side of Chicago was sentenced to seven years in prison for faking prescription records and stealing customers' identities.

Ronald Kielar, 76, was convicted at trial last fall of health care fraud, obstruction of justice and identity theft. A federal judge sentenced Kielar today. He received five years for the health care fraud and obstruction convictions and a consecutive two-year sentence for identity theft.

Prosecutors said between 2004 and 2010, Kielar falsified more than 600 claims for a prescription drug that increases the production of red blood cells and charged insurance companies for prescriptions that were never distributed from a pharmacy in Rogers Park that was owned by his ex-wife.

He collected roughly $1.7 million from the scheme, which he used to finance mortgages on homes in Illinois, Florida and Arizona, court records show.

In addition to his sentence, Kielar was ordered to pay more than $1.725 million in restitution and forfeit nearly $78,000 from the sale of a home in Florida.

Kielar must serve at least 85 percent of his sentence. He will begin serving his sentence June 10, prosecutors said.