TRENTON
- Attorney General Paula T. Dow and Criminal
Justice Director Stephen J. Taylor announced
that 15 defendants have pleaded guilty for
their roles in a black market network that
distributed prescription narcotics such
as OxyContin and Percocet in Hudson County.
According
to Acting Insurance Fraud Prosecutor Riza
Dagli, these four defendants pleaded guilty
late yesterday to accusations before Superior
Court Judge Kevin G. Callahan in Hudson
County:
- Brian
Kelly,
49, of Hoboken, pleaded guilty to distribution
of Percocet within 500 feet of certain
public property (2nd degree), conspiracy
to commit health care claims fraud (2nd
degree), and distribution of Percocet
within 1,000 feet of a school (3rd degree).
The state will recommend a sentence of
six years in state prison with three years
of parole ineligibility.
- Joseph
Burkhart,
50, of Rutherford, pleaded guilty to possession
of Percocet with intent to distribute
within 500 feet of certain public property
(2nd degree), and possession of Percocet
with intent to distribute within 1,000
feet of a school (3rd degree). The state
will recommend a sentence of five years
in state prison with 20 months of parole
ineligibility.
- Lauren
Cardinale,
28, of Union City, pleaded guilty to distribution
of more than one ounce of Percocet (2nd
degree), distribution of Percocet within
1,000 feet of a school (3rd degree), and
conspiracy to commit health care claims
fraud (3rd degree). The state will recommend
a sentence of three years in state prison
with 18 months of parole ineligibility.
- Martin
Williamson, 51, of Jersey City,
pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute
OxyContin (3rd degree). The state will
recommend a sentence of four years in
state prison.
The
pleas resulted from an ongoing investigation
by the Office of the Insurance Fraud Prosecutor’s
Medicaid Fraud Control Unit and the Jersey
City Police Department’s Special Investigation
Unit. Deputy Attorneys General Cynthia Vazquez
and Debra A. Conrad took the guilty pleas
for the Division of Criminal Justice.
“As
these 15 guilty pleas demonstrate, we are
moving forward expeditiously to bring the
members of this criminal network to justice
for distributing dangerous narcotics in
our communities,” said Acting Insurance
Fraud Prosecutor Dagli. “We have also
charged doctors and pharmacists with participating
in this ring and falsely billing Medicaid.”
Deputy
Attorneys General Vazquez and Conrad also
took the following 11 guilty pleas, which
were recently entered before Judge Callahan:
- Mark
Cerello,
26, of North Bergen, pleaded guilty on
March 17 to conspiracy to distribute more
than one ounce of OxyContin (2nd degree),
distribution of OxyContin within 500 feet
of certain property, and possession of
OxyContin with intent to distribute within
1,000 feet of a school (3rd degree). The
state will recommend a sentence of five
years in state prison with 20 months of
parole ineligibility.
- Raymond
Bremner, 43, of Jersey City,
pleaded guilty on Feb. 8 to distribution
of OxyContin (2nd degree), two counts
of distribution of OxyContin within 500
feet of certain public property (2nd degree),
and three counts of distribution of OxyContin
within 1,000 feet of a school (3rd degree).
The state will recommend a sentence of
seven years in prison with 33 months of
parole ineligibility.
- Danny
Ross, 50, of Jersey City, pleaded
guilty on March 9 to possession of Percocet
(3rd degree). The state will recommend
a sentence of three years in state prison.
- Thomas
Milette, 30, of Jersey City,
pleaded guilty on March 17 to conspiracy
to distribute OxyContin (3rd degree) and
conspiracy to distribute OxyContin within
1,000 feet of a school (3rd degree). The
state will recommend a sentence of three
years in state prison.
- Joseph
Chmielewski, 33, of Wallington,
pleaded guilty on March 9 to possession
of OxyContin (3rd degree). The state will
recommend a sentence of probation, while
reserving the right to recommend that
he serve up to 364 days in the county
jail as a condition of probation.
- John
Bussanich, 25, of Cliffside Park,
pleaded guilty on March 17 to conspiracy
to distribute OxyContin (3rd degree).
The state will recommend a sentence of
probation, while reserving the right to
recommend that he serve up to 364 days
in the county jail as a condition of probation.
- Marty
Taraboccia, 26, of Fairview,
pleaded guilty on March 8 to conspiracy
to distribute OxyContin (3rd degree).
The state will recommend a sentence of
probation, while reserving the right to
recommend that he serve up to 364 days
in the county jail as a condition of probation.
- Emmanuel
Tarabokija, 26, of Cliffside
Park, pleaded guilty on March 9 to conspiracy
to distribute OxyContin (3rd degree).
The state will recommend a sentence of
probation, while reserving the right to
recommend that he serve up to 364 days
in the county jail.
- Angela
Shoults,
34, of Jersey City, pleaded guilty on
March 9 to conspiracy to distribute Percocet
(3rd degree). The state will recommend
a sentence of probation, while reserving
the right to recommend that she serve
up to 364 days in the county jail as a
condition of probation.
- Sean
Jeffrey, 42, of Jersey City,
pleaded guilty on March 17 to conspiracy
to distribute OxyContin (3rd degree).
The state will recommend a sentence of
probation.
- Michelle
Oliver, 41, of Wallington, pleaded
guilty on March 17 to possession of OxyContin
(3rd degree). The state will recommend
a sentence of probation.
The
defendants are scheduled to be sentenced
on various dates between April and November.
Since
October, more than 32 people, including
doctors and pharmacists, have been arrested
in the joint investigation, which uncovered
a major criminal narcotics network based
in Hudson County that distributed thousands
of black market prescription pain pills
such as OxyContin and Percocet. The network
was obtaining fraudulent narcotics prescriptions
and filling them at various pharmacies.
At
the same time, Medicaid was being billed
for phony doctor visits and prescription
medicines that were never dispensed. The
network allegedly distributed the prescription
pain pills throughout Hudson County and
other parts of the state, including Bergen,
Ocean, Morris and Monmouth counties. A single
30 milligram OxyContin pill, known as a
“blue,” typically sells for
$10 to $20 on the street, while a 10 milligram
Percocet pill sells for $5 to $8. For additional
defendants see the press
release issued on Oct. 20, 2009.
Detective
Kevin Gannon, Sgt. Frederick Weidman and
Deputy Attorneys General Vazquez and Conrad
were assigned to the investigation into
this case for OIFP’s Medicaid Fraud
Control Unit.
They
were assisted by the following members of
the Jersey City Police Department’s
Special Investigation Unit under the supervision
of Chief Thomas Comey: Capt. Gary Lallo,
Sgt. Anthony Musante, Sgt. Wally Wolf, Detective
Wael Shahid, Detective Jeff Guilfoyle, Detective
Vincent Disbrow, Detective Hector Marrero,
Police Officer Alex Torres, Police Officer
Chris Dolan, and Police Officer Erik Infantes.
The
Medicaid program is funded by the state
and federal governments. The State of New
Jersey administers the program through the
Division of Medical Assistance and Health
Services and the Office of the Insurance
Fraud Prosecutor’s Medicaid Fraud
Control Unit, which investigates both criminal
and civil Medicaid fraud and abuse in that
program.
If
anyone has information or would like to
report fraud or abuse involving the Medicaid
program or Medicaid providers, they should
contact the Medicaid Fraud Control Unit
by calling the toll-free hotline
1-877-55-FRAUD or visiting the
Web site www.NJInsuranceFraud.org.
All information received through the hotline
or Web site will remain confidential.
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