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TRENTON - A Parisppany man
was indicted today for allegedly stealing
$36,000 in charity care benefits by deliberately
misrepresenting his income and assets in
applying for coverage for treatment he received
at Morristown Hospital, Attorney General
Anne Milgram and Criminal Justice Director
Deborah L. Gramiccioni announced
According to Director Gramiccioni,
Shlomo Cohen, 58, of Parsippany, was charged
by a state grand jury with health care claims
fraud and theft by deception, both in the
third degree.
Between Aug. 16 and Sept.
26, 2005, Cohen received treatment at Morristown
Hospital for a medical condition and filed
an application for coverage under the New
Jersey Hospital Care Payment Assistance
Program, also known as Charity Care. The
indictment alleges that Cohen made fraudulent
statements on his application in order to
receive Charity Care benefits covering his
full medical costs of $36,570. Cohen claimed
that he earned $18,200 annually as a limousine
driver and had just $194 in assets. An investigation
by the Division of Criminal Justice Major
Crimes Bureau revealed that, in fact, he
was the owner of a limousine company, Ziv
Limousine, and was earning more than $42,000
a year.
The investigation was conducted
and coordinated by Detective Kimberly Allen
and Deputy Attorney General Francine S.
Ehrenberg of the Division of Criminal Justice
Major Crimes Bureau. Deputy Attorney General
Ehrenberg presented the case to the state
grand jury.
Third-degree crimes carry
a maximum punishment of five years in state
prison and a criminal fine of $15,000. The
indictment is merely an accusation and the
defendant is presumed innocent until proven
guilty.
The
indictment was handed up to Superior Court
Judge Charles A. Delehey in Mercer County,
who assigned the case to Morris County,
where Cohen will be ordered to appear in
court at a later date to answer the charges.
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