TRENTON
- Attorney General Anne Milgram and Criminal
Justice Director Gregory A. Paw announced
that a former Department of Corrections
officer was charged today with fraudulently
obtaining temporary disability benefits.
According
to Insurance Fraud Prosecutor Greta Gooden
Brown, Laura M. Mamaligas, 33, of Sayreville,
who was employed as a New Jersey Department
of Corrections officer from 2002 to 2006,
was charged with second-degree insurance
fraud and third-degree theft by deception.
The
Mercer County grand jury indictment alleges
that between May 26 and Aug. 29, 2005, Mamaligas
illegally collected $6,059 in temporary
disability benefits by creating and reinforcing
the impression that she was disabled and
unable to work at DOC when, in fact, she
was not injured or disabled and was fully
able to perform her duties. Mamaligas allegedly
caused a false claim for workers’
compensation temporary disability benefits
and health care benefits to be submitted
through the New Jersey Department of Labor
and Workforce Development, Division of Workers’
Compensation. Mamaligas also allegedly caused
$6,452.91 to be paid to various health care
providers for treating her purported injuries.
State
Investigator Kristi Procaccino, Civil Investigator
Bonnie Apone, and Deputy Attorney General
Michael V. Troso were assigned to the investigation.
DAG Troso presented the case to the Mercer
County Grand Jury. Prosecutor Brown thanks
the Department of Corrections, Special Investigation
Division for its great assistance in this
investigation.
The
indictment, which was voted yesterday and
filed with the court today, is merely an
accusation and the defendant is presumed
innocent until proven guilty. Second-degree
crimes carry a maximum punishment of 10
years in state prison and a criminal fine
of $150,000, while third-degree crimes carry
a maximum punishment of five years in state
prison and a criminal fine of $15,000. Mamaligas
also faces civil insurance fraud fines.
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