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For Immediate Release:  
For Further Information Contact:
April 5, 2005

Office of The Attorney General
- Peter C. Harvey, Attorney General
Division of Criminal Justice
- Vaughn L. McKoy, Director
Office of the Insurance Fraud Prosecutor
- Greta Gooden Brown, Insurance Fraud Prosecutor

 

John R. Hagerty
609-984-1936

 

Passaic County Pharmacist Ordered to Pay $70,000 in Fines & Restitution after Pleading Guilty to Medicaid Fraud Scam

TRENTON - Vaughn L. McKoy, Director, Division of Criminal Justice, announced that a Passaic County pharmacist has been ordered to pay more than $70,000 in fines and restitution after pleading guilty to defrauding the Medicaid Program out of more than $35,000 by using the identifications of unknowing Medicaid recipients to submit forged prescriptions for payment.
The Medicaid Program, which is funded by the state and federal governments, provides health care services and prescription drugs to persons unable to afford such services and medicines.

According to Insurance Fraud Prosecutor Greta Gooden-Brown, Nino Paradiso, 61, Poplar Drive, Morris Plains, Morris County, was sentenced by Passaic County Superior Court Judge Edward Gannon on April 1 to serve 45 days in the Passaic County Sheriff’s Labor Assistance Program, three years probation, and to complete 100 hours of community service in addition to the fines and restitution.

Insurance Fraud Prosecutor Gooden-Brown noted that Paradiso pleaded guilty on Jan. 14 to a charge of Medicaid Fraud. In pleading guilty, Paradiso, a licensed pharmacist and the owner/operator of Singac Pharmacy and Surgical Supply, Route 23, Little Falls, Passaic County, admitted that he submitted 103 fictitious and/or fraudulent prescription drug claims to the Medicaid Program between February and August, 2001. Paradiso had been charged via a State Grand Jury indictment returned on June 13, 2003.

An investigation by the Division of Criminal Justice - Office of the Insurance Fraud Prosecutor’s Medicaid Fraud Section determined that the fraudulent claims were submitted to the Medicaid Program using the identifications of eight Medicaid recipients who were unaware of the fictitious prescriptions and fraudulent claims. As a result of the fraudulent billing scheme, Medicaid was billed more than $35,000.

The investigation was conducted by the Division of Criminal Justice - Office of the Insurance Fraud Prosecutor’s Medicaid Fraud Section which investigates and prosecutes criminal Medicaid fraud cases. State Investigator Carlos Ortiz and Deputy Attorney General Riza Dagli coordinated the investigation.

"The Office of the Insurance Fraud Prosecutor will investigate and prosecute insurance fraud in whatever form it takes. In this case, a licensed medical professional attempted to defraud the Medicaid Program out of thousands of dollars - dollars that were then unavailable to assist truly needy families,” said Insurance Fraud Prosecutor Gooden-Brown.

www.NJInsuranceFraud.org

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