|
TRENTON
- Attorney General Anne Milgram and Criminal
Justice Director Gregory A. Paw announced
that a former Morris County resident was
sentenced today for health insurance fraud.
According
to Insurance Fraud Prosecutor Greta Gooden
Brown, Barbara McCullough, 61, formerly
of Florham Park, and currently a resident
of Salt Lake City, Utah, was ordered by
Superior Court Judge Salem Vincent Ahto
in Morris County to serve one-year probation
and to pay a $5,000 civil fine. McCullough
paid restitution to Horizon Blue Cross Blue
Shield prior to sentencing. The sentence
is pursuant to McCullough’s March
28 guilty plea to a criminal accusation
which charged her with theft by deception.
At the guilty plea hearing before Judge
Ahto, McCullough admitted that between February
2003 and June 2006, she created or reinforced
the false impression that she maintained
a primary residence in New Jersey and was
present in New Jersey for at least six months
of the calendar year so as to be eligible
to receive benefits under an individual
health benefits plan from Horizon Blue Cross
Blue Shield of New Jersey. McCullough admitted
that she consequently obtained $74,000 in
health benefits to which she was not entitled.
Detective
Janet Wustefeld, Civil Investigator Gina
Lemanowicz, and Deputy Attorney General
Cheryl A. Maccaroni were assigned to the
investigation. Maccaroni represented the
Office of Insurance Fraud Prosecutor at
the sentencing.
The
case was referred to OIFP by the Special
Investigative Unit of Horizon Blue Cross
Blue Shield which initially uncovered the
fraud and assisted OIFP in the investigation.
Insurance Fraud Prosecutor Brown thanked
Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield for its assistance
in this matter.
# # #
|
