Official Site of The State of New Jersey

For Immediate Release:
June 26, 2026

LTCO Investigator Fred Paugh Honored by NJ Elder Protection Task Force

Left to right, Acting Insurance Fraud Prosecutor Bernard Cooney, LTCO Investigator Fred Paugh, and Heather Hadley, Bureau Chief of the Medicaid Fraud Unit, Office of the Insurance Fraud Prosecutor. Fred Paugh received the Elder Protection Task Force’s 2026 Award of Excellence.

Congratulations to Fred Paugh, a veteran investigator with the New Jersey Office of the Long-Term Care Ombudsman (LTCO) and now the recipient of the Elder Protection Task Force’s 2026 Award of Excellence.

The award was presented June 11 during a World Elder Abuse Awareness Day event hosted by the Attorney General’s Office, Medicaid Fraud Control Unit, Office of the Insurance Fraud Prosecutor, and New Jersey Elder Protection Task Force.

Fred was nominated for the award by his LTCO peers in recognition of his nearly two decades of investigative and advocacy work on behalf of long-term care residents.

His time at LTCO is actually a second career. Before joining LTCO, Fred had retired from the State Police after 25 years’ service.

Rich King, Deputy Chief of Detectives with the Medicaid Fraud Unit, presented the award during the June 11 event. In his introduction, King praised Fred’s investigative work and a referral to the Medicaid Fraud Unit that resulted in the prosecution of a financial advisor who was recently convicted of stealing more than $300,000 from an elderly nursing home resident.

Attorney General Jennifer Davenport recently issued an announcement about the case. Read more.

About the New Jersey Long-Term Care Ombudsman

The Office of the New Jersey Long-Term Care Ombudsman is an independent state agency dedicated to the mission of advancing the rights, dignity, and self-determination of adults living in long-term care, including nursing homes, assisted living, and residential health care facilities. Learn more.

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