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Insurance Fraud

Jersey Shore Doctor Who Wrote $5M In Fraudulent Prescriptions Sentenced, Feds Say Jersey Shore Doctor Who Wrote $5M In Fraudulent Prescriptions Sentenced, Feds Say
Jersey Shore Doctor Who Wrote $5M In Fraudulent Prescriptions Sentenced, Feds Say A Margate doctor will spend more than a year in prison for his role in a $5 million prescription kickback scheme, authorities said. Brian Sokalsky, 46, was sentenced on Tuesday, Oct. 29 to a year and three months in prison, said Vikas Khanna, First Assistant U.S. Attorney for the District of New Jersey, in a news release. Sokalsky previously pleaded guilty to conspiring to commit healthcare fraud by prescribing compound medications. Sokalsky was a doctor at Jersey Shore Sports Medicine. His online biography said he graduated with a bachelor's degree in exercise science from R…
Viral Dashcam Footage Shows Vehicle Reversing On NY Highway In Apparent Insurance Fraud Attempt Viral Dashcam Footage Shows Vehicle Reversing On NY Highway In Apparent Insurance Fraud Attempt
Viral Dashcam Footage Shows Vehicle Reversing On NY Highway In Apparent Insurance Fraud Attempt Authorities are investigating a case of attempted insurance fraud after the victim’s shocking dashcam video of the incident went viral online. “Everything happened so fast,” Ashpia Natasha, recounted in a video on TikTok that had more than 68M views as of press time. She said she was alone driving eastbound on the Belt Parkway in Queens, toward the Southern State Parkway, on Wednesday, Oct. 16, when another driver cut her off and slammed on his brakes. At first, her dashcam video shows what appears to be just a close call; she hits her brakes and avoids crashing into the other ve…
Man Committed Insurance Fraud After Hit-And-Run Crash In South Jersey: Prosecutors Man Committed Insurance Fraud After Hit-And-Run Crash In South Jersey: Prosecutors
Man Committed Insurance Fraud After Hit-And-Run Crash In South Jersey: Prosecutors An Egg Harbor Township man was accused of lying about his vehicle being stolen when he left the scene of a crash, authorities said. Clay Stake, 50, was charged on Friday, June 14 with three counts of third-degree insurance fraud and third-degree giving false reports to law enforcement. The Atlantic County Prosecutor's Office announced his charges in a news release on Thursday, June 20. The state Office of Insurance Fraud Prosecutor told county investigators that Stake had committed insurance fraud. Police notified him on Tuesday, Aug. 27, 2023, that a car registered…
'Patient Broker' From Balto Goes To Federal Prison For Preying On NJ Drug Addicts 'Patient Broker' From Balto Goes To Federal Prison For Preying On NJ Drug Addicts
'Patient Broker' From Balto Goes To Federal Prison For Preying On NJ Drug Addicts A Baltimore man was sentenced to a year and a day in federal prison for paying people to bribe drug addicts in New Jersey to go to specific rehab centers -- some as far as California. John Devlin, 37, is one of seven people who took deals from the government and admitted participating in a plot to defraud health insurance companies through patient brokering in several states, U.S. Attorney for New Jersey Philip R. Sellinger said. The confessed schemers enlisted "recruiters" to pay users addicted to heroin and other drugs with "robust" private health insurance several thousand dollars to ent…
NJ Doc Accused Of Sexually Abusing Patients Now Charged With Insurance Fraud: Prosecutor NJ Doc Accused Of Sexually Abusing Patients Now Charged With Insurance Fraud: Prosecutor
NJ Doc Accused Of Sexually Abusing Patients Now Charged With Insurance Fraud: Prosecutor A New Jersey doctor accused of sexually abusing six of his patients has now been charged with insurance fraud — as has his office manager, authorities said. Gurvindra Johal, 56, of Colonia, was arrested back in March for  inappropriately touching of two patients under his care at an urgent care center on Broad Street in Newark, according to Acting Essex County Prosecutor Theodore N. Stephens. Another woman later came forward saying the physician sexually assaulted her while under his care at Amboy Urgent Care, located at 469 Cornell Street, Perth Amboy, Middlesex County Prosecutor Yola…
PA Man Charged With Torching NJ Home For Insurance Money PA Man Charged With Torching NJ Home For Insurance Money
PA Man Charged With Torching NJ Home For Insurance Money A Pennsylvania man already awaiting trial in connection with other incidents was charged with setting fire to a former home in Cherry Hill to collect on the insurance. Richard Orlandini, 62, of Wilkes Barre, collected at least $75,000 from Allstate by "recklessly placing others in danger of death or bodily injury,"  New Jersey Attorney General Matthew J. Platkin said. Firefighters reported finding the two-story single-family home on Chapel Avenue West well-involved shortly before 1:30 a.m. Oct. 20, 2018. No injuries were reported and the house had to be demolished. Orlandini deli…
NJ Woman, 72, Indicted For Using Dead Caregiver's Info To Keep Collecting Insurance Payments NJ Woman, 72, Indicted For Using Dead Caregiver's Info To Keep Collecting Insurance Payments
NJ Woman, 72, Indicted For Using Dead Caregiver's Info To Keep Collecting Insurance Payments A 72-year-old New Jersey woman used phony timesheets and a bogus bank account from a dead caregiver to fraudulently collect insurance payments for long-term care from him, state authorities charged. Leoncia Hutchinson of Metuchen deposited the payments from the Continental Casualty Company into a dedicated account, then slid the funds back into her own, an indictment returned by a grand jury in Trenton alleges. For six months, Hutchinson treated the man’s death as “a moneymaking opportunity,” New Jersey Attorney General Matthew J. Platkin said in announcing the indictment on Wednesday, Nov.…
Details Emerge Around Widow Of NJ ‘Animal Whisperer’ Who Continued Vet Practice Without License Details Emerge Around Widow Of NJ ‘Animal Whisperer’ Who Continued Vet Practice Without License
Details Emerge Around Widow Of NJ ‘Animal Whisperer’ Who Continued Vet Practice Without License The widow of a revered North Jersey veterinarian known as the “animal whisperer” had help from two alleged co-conspirators from New York in continuing to operate her husband’s clinic without a license, it was recently revealed. Alia Muslih, 41, of Montclair originally was accused of posing as a veterinarian following her husband’s death in order to keep the Totowa Animal Hospital open. A massive 77-count grand jury indictment returned earlier this month in Paterson lays out additional details. Included are allegations that Muslih had help from Marco A. Gamarra, 64, of the Bronx and Yaser I…
Little Ferry Laborer Torched Truck For Insurance Money, Authorities Charge Little Ferry Laborer Torched Truck For Insurance Money, Authorities Charge
Little Ferry Laborer Torched Truck For Insurance Money, Authorities Charge A laborer from Little Ferry was charged with torching his pickup truck outside his own home for the insurance money. Louis M. Molino, 40, was arrested soon after firefighters responding to a quiet Couchon Drive neighborhood near Route 46 found the 2008 Nissan Frontier ablaze around 11:30 p.m. Friday, Jan. 13, Bergen County Prosecutor Mark Musella said. Little Ferry police and members of Musella’s Major Crimes Unit, assisted by the Bergen County Sheriff’s Bureau of Criminal Identification, collected enough evidence to charge Molina with aggravated arson, arson and risking widespread injury o…
Passaic County Chiropractor Charged With $372,000 Insurance Fraud Passaic County Chiropractor Charged With $372,000 Insurance Fraud
Passaic County Chiropractor Charged With $372,000 Insurance Fraud A 69-year-old chiropractor from Passaic County was charged with submitting $372,000 worth of bogus insurance claims, authorities said. Patrick Capizzi of North Haledon was released pending a first appearance in Central Judicial Processing Court in Paterson following his arrest on Monday, Jan. 9, Passaic County Prosecutor Camelia M. Valdes announced on Tuesday. Members of her Insurance Fraud Unit charged Capizzi with healthcare claims fraud and tax evasion, the prosecutor said. They began examining Capizzi’s practice in late October 2020 after receiving “a report of inappropriate billi…
South Jersey Pair Bilked Victim Out Of $600K, Laundered Money: Prosecutor South Jersey Pair Bilked Victim Out Of $600K, Laundered Money: Prosecutor
South Jersey Pair Bilked Victim Out Of $600K, Laundered Money: Prosecutor A pair of South Jersey residents has been indicted on money laundering and theft charges, authorities said. Wei Song, 59, and Botao Liu, 52, both of Egg Harbor Township were indicted on Thursday, Nov. 17 for charges stemming from a multi-year social engineering scheme that resulted in financial losses of over $600,000 from one victim, millions of dollars in bad checks, and identity theft damages, according to the Atlantic County Prosecutor's Office. Song was indicted for money laundering – a first-degree offense; theft by deception – a second-degree offense; identity the…
Dozens Of Bogus NJ Insurance Claims Filed By 2 Women: AG Dozens Of Bogus NJ Insurance Claims Filed By 2 Women: AG
Dozens Of Bogus NJ Insurance Claims Filed By 2 Women: AG Two women are accused of submitting dozens of fraudulent health insurance claims in New Jersey, authorities said. The women were indicted for allegedly submitting the fake claims to Aflac for medical treatment that they did not receive, according to Acting Attorney General Matthew J. Platkin. Hassanah Todd, 33, of Newark, N.J. and Shirell Todd, 32, of High Point, NC, were indicted on charges of conspiracy, insurance fraud, theft by deception, and falsifying or tampering with records, Plotkin said. The indictment was returned by a grand jury on Thursday, May 12. The indictment fu…
Ex-Police Officer Who Faked Her Death In Ukraine Nabbed For Retail Theft, Records Show Ex-Police Officer Who Faked Her Death In Ukraine Nabbed For Retail Theft, Records Show
Ex-Police Officer Who Faked Her Death In Ukraine Nabbed For Retail Theft, Records Show A former Baltimore police officer who allegedly faked her death in Ukraine to avoid going to trial over false sex assault accusations toward a Pennsylvania officer, has been arrested yet again for retail theft,  authorities say. Oksana Olkesandrivna Brown, 47, of Dallastown, was previously sentenced to serve two years probation, 50 hours of community service, and was banned from the Shrewsbury Township Walmart after she was convicted of stealing $30 worth of merchandise in 2018, court records show. Brown claimed she was sexually assaulted by a Pennsylvania state trooper while the…
State: Jersey Shore Chiropractor, 73, With Fraud History Files 261 Bogus Insurance Claims State: Jersey Shore Chiropractor, 73, With Fraud History Files 261 Bogus Insurance Claims
State: Jersey Shore Chiropractor, 73, With Fraud History Files 261 Bogus Insurance Claims A Bayonne-based chiropractor from the Jersey Shore with an insurance fraud conviction already on his record did it again, state authorities charged. Charles B. Boas, 73, of Matawan, got probation seven years ago after pleading guilty to collecting nearly $13,000 through bogus claims, records show. State officials announced Wednesday that they'd caught him in an even bigger scam -- this time involving hundreds of false submissions to Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield. A grand jury in Trenton indicted Boas on 261 counts involving health care claims fraud, theft by deception and tax evasions, Ac…
Ex-Physician Indicted For Illegally Prescribing Opioid Pills In South Jersey: Prosecutor Ex-Physician Indicted For Illegally Prescribing Opioid Pills In South Jersey: Prosecutor
Ex-Physician Indicted For Illegally Prescribing Opioid Pills In South Jersey: Prosecutor A former physician from South Jersey has been indicted for illegally prescribing highly-addictive opioid pills, authorities said. Morris “Moishe” Starkman, 62, of Yellowstone Road in Cinnaminson, has been indicted on 21 counts of narcotics distribution and fraud charges for the alleged activity out of his Bordentown Township practice, according to Burlington County Prosecutor Scott Coffina. Starkman simultaneously engaged in an unlawful medical billing scheme over a three-year period, Coffina alleged. Starkman was indicted by a grand jury on 15 counts of distribution of a controlled d…
Son Of Infamous Bergen County Burglar Charged With ID Theft, Unemployment Fraud Son Of Infamous Bergen County Burglar Charged With ID Theft, Unemployment Fraud
Son Of Infamous Bergen County Burglar Charged With ID Theft, Unemployment Fraud The son of an infamous Bergen County burglar was charged with unemployment fraud after a shoplifting bust in Virginia, authorities said. A judge ordered Daniel Gatson Jr., 24, of Ridgefield released this week after he was booked into the Bergen County Jail hours earlier, records show. Gatson assumed another identity to open bank accounts, then applied for and received unemployment benefits from the state of New Jersey, Bergen County Prosecutor Mark Musella said, without specifying the amount. Detectives in Fairfax County, VA discovered this while investigating a shoplifting, the prose…
PHONE SCAM: 'Grandson In Trouble' Ringleader Busted, Passaic County Authorities Say PHONE SCAM: 'Grandson In Trouble' Ringleader Busted, Passaic County Authorities Say
Phone Scam: 'Grandson In Trouble' Ringleader Busted, Passaic County Authorities Say You’ve probably heard of them, the heartless con artists who call elderly victims pretending to be a grandson or other young relative needing bail money right now. Authorities in Passaic County say they’ve nabbed one – a big one. Raymond Jacquez, 26, led a network of scammers who convinced victims they were a relative who’d been arrested or a lawyer working for that person, Passaic County Prosecutor Camelia M. Valdes said. The victims were urged to wire money to a bank account in Paterson so the relative could post bail, she said. Senior victims in Florida, Maryland, Vermont and Washington…
PA Woman Faked Her Death In Ukraine To Avoid False Sexual Assault Charges, Reports Say PA Woman Faked Her Death In Ukraine To Avoid False Sexual Assault Charges, Reports Say
PA Woman Faked Her Death In Ukraine To Avoid False Sexual Assault Charges, Reports Say A Pennsylvania woman has been charged with making a false report, insurance fraud and unsworn falsification to authorities after she allegedly faked her own death among other things.Oksana Olkesandrivna Brown, 46 of Dallastown, had a different 2020 than most people, she not only traveled internationally, but she came back from the dead, sort of. Brown allegedly fled the US and faked her death to avoid serving time for falsely accusing a Pennsylvania State trooper of sexual assault and to obtain a life insurance payout, reports York Daily Record. Brown -- a former Baltimore City police offic…
Jersey Shore Con Man, 73, Gets Three Years, Son Probation For $4M Insurance Scam Jersey Shore Con Man, 73, Gets Three Years, Son Probation For $4M Insurance Scam
Jersey Shore Con Man, 73, Gets Three Years, Son Probation For $4M Insurance Scam A 73-year-old Asbury Park man was sentenced to three years in state prison while his son got probation for an insurance scam that netted them $4 million, authorities said. Frank Pescatore, 73, and his son, former life insurance agent Evan Pescatore, 38, of Highlands finagled 18 policies with a combined face value of $61.5 million from eight insurance companies by paying the premiums, state Attorney General Gurbir S. Grewal said Wednesday. The process of providing applicants and insureds with a no-cost inducement to apply for life insurance policies by paying their premiums is known as “reba…