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TRENTON
- Attorney General Anne Milgram and Criminal
Justice Director Gregory A. Paw announced
that a Manalapan dentist was sentenced today
for an insurance billing scam.
According
to Insurance Fraud Prosecutor Greta Gooden
Brown, Gary Osmanoff, 45, of Marlboro, was
ordered by Superior Court Judge Bette Uhrmacher
in Monmouth County to serve three years
probation and to repay $1,585. Osmanoff
previously paid $20,915 in restitution.
Osmanoff’s dentistry license was also
suspended for one year. The sentence is
pursuant to Osmanoff’s July 23 guilty
plea to a criminal accusation which charged
him with health care claims fraud.
At
the guilty plea hearing before Judge Uhrmacher,
Osmanoff, a state-licensed dentist whose
office is in Manalapan, admitted that between
August 2, 2001 and June 24, 2004, he submitted
false and fraudulent insurance claims to
several dental insurance companies. Specifically,
Osmanoff admitted that he falsely billed
Ameritas Life Insurance Corporation, Delta
Dental Insurance Company, MetLife Insurance
Company and Aetna Insurance Company.
Osmanoff
admitted that he submitted insurance claims
purporting to have provided dental services
to patients when, in fact, the dental services
were not provided. Osmanoff admitted that
he falsely billed the insurance companies
approximately $98,000 and was paid approximately
$22,500 on the claims. The bills related
to approximately 106 dates when he falsely
represented he provided dental services
to approximately 17 patients.
State
Investigator Natalie Brotherston, Civil
Investigator Eric Flickinger and Deputy
Attorney General Joan M. Burke were assigned
to the investigation. Burke represented
the state at the sentencing. The matter
will be referred to the state Board of Dentistry
for any action it deems appropriate with
regard to Osmanoff’s license.
Prosecutor
Brown thanked the insurance companies for
their referrals and their assistance in
this investigation.
The
Office of Insurance Fraud Prosecutor was
established by the Automobile Insurance
Cost Reduction Act of 1998. The office is
the centralized state agency that investigates
and prosecutes both civil and criminal insurance
fraud, as well as Medicaid fraud.
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