Pharmacy technician, 48, is charged with stealing more than $8.2M-worth of HIV medication from Veterans Affairs hospital in New Jersey

 A former pharmacy technician allegedly stole more than $8.2million-worth of prescription HIV medication from a Veterans Affairs hospital in northern New Jersey.

Lisa Hoffman, 48, of Orange, is charged with theft of medical products, prosecutors announced Wednesday. 

Hoffman worked at the hospital in East Orange, where she was responsible for ordering drugs and supplies for the site's outpatient pharmacy and maintaining its inventory.

From at least August 2017 through November 2019, prosecutors said Hoffman used her position to steal prescription HIV medication from the hospital. 

She placed large orders for the medication, purportedly on behalf of the hospital, then stole it after it was delivered, prosecutors said.

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Pharmacy technician Lisa Hoffman, 48, allegedly stole more than $8.2million-worth of HIV medication from the Veterans Affairs Medical Center in East Orange, New Jersey (pictured)

Hospital surveillance footage captured Hoffman regularly taking dozens of bottles of HIV medications from the pharmacy shelves and eventually putting them in her bag, then leave the hospital with the stolen medication, prosecutors said. 

Hoffman would then meet with another conspirator, 33-year-old Wagner 'Wanny' Checonolasco, and sell him the stolen medications for cash.   

Checonolasco would then sell the medications to other people. 

A criminal complaint outlined five different dates on which Hoffman was filmed in the act of stealing, including one on October 30, 2019, where she was seen stashing bottles of medication in a white mail bin that she then placed under her desk. 

The complaint also described text messages that Hoffman and Checonolasco sent on WhatsApp before meeting up at her home for exchanges. 

For example, on July 12, 2019, Hoffman texted: 'I told you I got it. Imma get dress now and go take it to you. 

Checonolasco responded with a photo of a wad of cash and the words: 'On my way.'

Investigators did not say how they uncovered the scheme but cited pharmacy records from around the dates of the theft which showed medications were missing. 

Federal agents discovered 64 bottles of pills in her car as she was leaving the hospital on November 20, 2019. A subsequent search of her home led to the recovery of $14,490 in cash. 

Hoffman could face up to 20 years in prison and a $1million fine if convicted on the charge filed Wednesday. 

Checonolasco was previously charged last fall with conspiracy to steal government property in a case that is still pending.