TRENTON
- Attorney General Paula T. Dow and Criminal
Justice Director Stephen J. Taylor announced
that the manager of an adult day health
services facility has pleaded guilty to
defrauding the Medicaid program. The facility
is no longer in business.
According
to Acting Insurance Fraud Prosecutor John
Kennedy, Salvatore Chillemi, 50, of Sewell,
pleaded guilty yesterday before Superior
Court Judge Christine Allen-Jackson in Gloucester
County to an accusation that charged him
with second-degree health care claims fraud.
Judge
Allen-Jackson scheduled sentencing for June
10. Under the plea agreement, the state
will recommend that Chillemi be sentenced
to three years in state prison. Also, as
part of the plea agreement, the state will
recommend that Chillemi pay $147,076.14
in fines and penalties. Chillemi will also
be barred from participation in the Medicaid
program and any other federally or state
funded health insurance or prescription
assistance program for a term of eight years.
Chillemi
served as the manager/director and client
outreach coordinator for Shore Winds Adult
Medical Day Care, an adult day health services
facility located in Somers Point. In pleading
guilty, Chillemi admitted that between May
8, 2006, and Nov. 8, 2010, he fraudulently
submitted five or more claims for adult
day health services valued at a total of
more than $1,000, purportedly provided to
Medicaid beneficiaries. An investigation
by the Office of the Insurance Fraud Prosecutor
determined that the services for which the
claims were submitted were either not provided,
or not provided to the extent for which
they were billed.
Detective
Joseph Jaruszewski, Detective Jacqueline
Latty and Deputy Attorney General Erik Daab,
Chief of the Medicaid Fraud Unit, and Deputy
Attorney General Oriana Nadraga were assigned
to the investigation. Deputy Attorney General
Nadraga represented the state at the guilty
plea hearing. Deputy Attorney General Carol
Stanton Meier is assigned to the asset forfeiture
action for the Division of Criminal Justice.
Acting Insurance Fraud Prosecutor Kennedy
thanked the Department of Health and Senior
Services and the Office of the State Comptroller
for their assistance in the investigation.
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