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For
Immediate Release: |
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For
Further Information Contact: |
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May
4, 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
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Rachel
Sacharow
609- 984-1936
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Essex
County Optician Pleads Guilty to $19,900
Medicaid Fraud |
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TRENTON
- Division of Criminal Justice Director
Vaughn L. McKoy announced that an Essex
County optician has pleaded guilty to
falsifying his optician’s license
in an attempt to bilk the Medicaid Program
out of more than $19,900.
According to Insurance Fraud Prosecutor
Greta Gooden-Brown, Mario Oliveira, Jr.,
42, East Kinney Street, Newark, Essex
County, pleaded guilty before Essex County
Superior Court Judge Harold W. Fullilove
to a criminal Accusation filed by the
Division of Criminal Justice - Office
of Insurance Fraud Prosecutor. The Accusation
charged Oliveira with Medicaid Fraud (3rd
degree). When sentenced on June 10, Oliveira
faces up to three years in state prison
and a fine of up to $10,000.
At the guilty plea hearing, Oliveira,
an optician at Clear Vision Optical, Inc.
located in Newark, admitted that between
January 2001 and January 2003, he altered
his outdated optician’s licence,
which had expired in December 2000, to
make it appear current and valid. Using
the fraudulent license, Oliveira submitted
more than 575 bills totaling more than
$19,000 to the Medicaid Program for reimbursement
for eyeglasses.
The Medicaid Program is funded by the
state and federal governments and provides
health care services and prescription
drugs to persons who may not otherwise
be able to afford such services and medicines.
State Investigator William Rodriguez and
Deputy Attorney General Mark J. Ondris
were assigned to the investigation. DAG
Ondris represented the Division
of Criminal Justice - Office
of Insurance Fraud Prosecutor at the
guilty plea hearing. The Division of Medical
Assistance and Health Services, which
helps in the administration of the Medicaid
Program, assisted in the investigation.
#
# #
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