TRENTON
- Attorney General Anne Milgram and Criminal
Justice Director Deborah L. Gramiccioni announced
that a Fair Lawn dentist pleaded guilty today
to defrauding the Medicaid program of nearly
$100,000 by billing for procedures that were
not performed.
According
to Acting Insurance Fraud Prosecutor Riza
Dagli, Joshua Prensky, 33, of Fair Lawn, a
licensed dentist employed by New Jersey Mobile
Dentist P.A. of Colts Neck, pleaded guilty
before Superior Court Judge Anthony J. Mellaci
Jr. in Monmouth County to an accusation that
charged him with third-degree conspiracy to
commit Medicaid fraud. The charge stems from
an ongoing investigation by the Office of
Insurance Fraud Prosecutor’s Medicaid
Fraud Control Unit.
At
the guilty plea hearing, Prensky admitted
that between January 1, 2007, and March 6,
2009, he and others not named in the accusation
completed consult forms and submitted bills
to the Medicaid program falsely claiming that
various dental procedures and services were
provided to Medicaid patients which, in fact,
were not provided. The investigation determined
that as a result of the fraudulent billing,
Medicaid allegedly paid New Jersey Mobile
Dentist nearly $100,000 to which it was not
entitled. New Jersey Mobile Dentist contracts
with individual dentists to provide “mobile”
dental services in various nursing homes and
assisted living facilities throughout New
Jersey.
Sgt.
Kathleen Casey, Auditor Kim Geis and Deputy
Attorney General Debra A. Conrad are assigned
to the investigation into this case. Deputy
Attorney General Conrad represented the state
at the guilty plea hearing.
“Abuse
of the Medicaid program and insurance fraud
by persons who hold professional licenses
are particularly disturbing crimes,”
said Acting Insurance Fraud Prosecutor Dagli.
“Not only do such Medicaid fraud schemes
involve theft of tax dollars, they also represent
a theft from a program designed to assist
persons who cannot afford health insurance
or health care services.”
Prensky
is scheduled to appear before Judge Mellaci
on Nov. 20 to be sentenced.
Third-degree
crimes carry a maximum sentence of five years
in state prison and a $15,000 fine.
As
part of his plea, Prensky also agreed to pay
restitution and a civil penalty totaling $84,340
to the State of New Jersey through the Office
of the Medicaid Inspector General, which commenced
operations in 2009 to investigate fraud, waste
and abuse in the Medicaid program.
In
addition, the Division of Criminal Justice
will notify the New Jersey Division of Consumer
Affairs of Prensky’s conviction, which
may result in legal action against his professional
license.
Acting
Prosecutor Dagli noted that some important
cases have started with anonymous tips. People
who are concerned about insurance cheating
and have information about fraud can report
it anonymously by calling the toll-free hotline
1-877-55-FRAUD or visiting
the Web site www.njinsurancefraud.org.
State regulations permit an award to be paid
to an eligible person who provides information
that leads to an arrest, prosecution and conviction
for insurance fraud.
#
# # |
