TRENTON
- Insurance Fraud Prosecutor Greta Gooden
Brown announced that the Division of Criminal
Justice - Office of Insurance Fraud Prosecutor
has obtained separate Middlesex County
Grand Jury indictments which charge the
owners of two Middlesex County residential
health care facilities with violating
the Medicaid kickback statute. The Medicaid
Program prohibits the paying of cash or
offering anything of value to a Medicaid
provider in exchange for directing business
to providers, such as pharmacies.
According to Brown, Edward Sigle, 80,
Spotswood-Gravel Hill Road, Monroe, Middlesex
County, and Edward Acquaye, 55, Bernick
Circle, New Brunswick, Middlesex County,
were charged in separate indictments with
violating the Medicaid Fraud kickback
statute (3rd degree). If convicted, each
defendant faces up to three years in state
prison and a fine of up to $10,000.
The indictment charging Sigle alleges
that between March 1, 2001 and Feb. 20,
2002, Sigle, who operated the Country
View Care Center located at 599 Buckelew
Ave., Monroe, Middlesex County, accepted
financial kickbacks from the former owner
of the Belmar Hometown Pharmacy. It is
charged that the kickbacks were provided
in return for Sigle directing nursing-home
residents’ prescriptions to the
former Belmar Hometown Pharmacy. While
the Medicaid Fraud kickback statute does
not require the State to determine the
exact amount of the fraud, the Office
of Insurance Fraud Prosecutor continues
to investigate the alleged amount of the
kickbacks.
Brown noted that the Belmar Hometown Pharmacy,
formerly located on Main Street in Belmar,
Monmouth County, was owned by former pharmacist
Michael Stavitski. Stavitski was prosecuted
by the Medicaid Fraud Control Unit of
the Office of the Insurance Fraud Prosecutor
and pleaded guilty to Health Care Claims
Fraud. On June 18, 2004, Stavitski was
sentenced to seven years in state prison
and ordered to pay $1.1 million in restitution
and penalties.
A separate Middlesex County Grand Jury
indictment charged that between Nov. 20,
2001 and Feb. 20, 2002, Acquaye, president
and operator of Lincoln Rest Home, d/b/a
as EDFAMAX,Inc., 40 Lincoln Ave., Jamesburg,
Middlesex County, also accepted kickbacks
from Stavitski. The indictment alleges
that Acquaye sent residents’ prescriptions
to the Belmar Hometown Pharmacy to be
filled.
State Investigators Anthony Iannice and
Jacqueline Latty and Deputy Attorney General
Marquis D. Jones, Jr. were assigned to
the investigations. DAG Jones represented
the Office of Insurance Fraud Prosecutor
before the Middlesex County Grand Jury.
The indictments, which were handed up
on Jan. 31, are merely accusations. The
defendants are presumed innocent unless
and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable
doubt.
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