TRENTON
- Attorney General Anne Milgram announced
that an Essex County man has been sentenced
today for fraudulently collecting more than
$13,700 in disability benefits to which
he was not entitled.
According
to Insurance Fraud Prosecutor Greta Gooden
Brown, Basilio Barrett, 53, of East Orange,
was ordered by Superior Court Judge Michael
A. Petrolle in Essex County to serve five
years probation, to pay $13,754 in restitution
to PSE&G and to perform 100 hours of
community service. The sentence was pursuant
to Barrett’s Aug. 22 guilty plea to
a criminal accusation charging him with
theft by deception and false swearing.
At the guilty plea hearing, Barrett admitted
that between Nov. 9, 2006, and Aug. 13,
2007, he falsely claimed he could not perform
his job as a service specialist for Public
Service Electric & Gas Company. Barrett
admitted that, as a result of the fraud,
he received $13,754 from Public Service
Enterprise Group, the entity which paid
him the disability benefits.
Detective
Christine Barclay and Deputy Attorney General
Cheryl A. Maccaroni were assigned to the
investigation into this case. Maccaroni
represented the Office of Insurance Fraud
Prosecutor at the sentencing.
This
case was referred to OIFP by the Public
Service Enterprise Group, which initially
uncovered the fraud and assisted OIFP in
the investigation. Insurance Fraud Prosecutor
Brown thanked Public Service Enterprise
Group for its assistance in this matter.
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