Four People Charged, Fifth Pleads Guilty, In $4.5 Million Health Care Fraud Conspiracy Targeting

[TexasTowelie]

Four People Charged, Fifth Pleads Guilty, In $4.5 Million Health Care Fraud Conspiracy Targeting State Health Benefits Programs


CAMDEN, N.J. – Four people, including two doctors, are scheduled to appear in court today on charges they defrauded New Jersey state health benefits programs and other insurers of $4.5 million by submitting fraudulent claims for medically unnecessary prescriptions, U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito announced. A fifth individual, a physician’s assistant, has pleaded guilty to participating in the health care fraud conspiracy.

Steven Monaco, 37, of Sewell, New Jersey; Daniel Oswari M.D., 48, of Bordentown, New Jersey; Michael Goldis D.O., of Mt. Laurel, New Jersey; and Aaron Jones, 25, of Willingboro, New Jersey, were all charged in a 33-count indictment with conspiracy to commit health care fraud and wire fraud. Monaco, Oswari, and Goldis also were each charged with individual acts of health care fraud and wire fraud, and Jones was charged with 10 false statement counts. Monaco and Oswari were charged with a conspiracy involving kickbacks for referrals for laboratory work.

The cases are assigned to U.S. District Judge Robert B. Kugler in Camden. The indicted defendants are expected to appear today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Karen M. Williams in Camden federal court.

According to the indictment:

Compounded medications are specialty medications mixed by a pharmacist to meet the specific medical needs of an individual patient. Although compounded drugs are not approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), they are properly prescribed when a physician determines that an FDA-approved medication does not meet the health needs of a particular patient, such as if a patient is allergic to a dye or other ingredient.

Read more: https://www.justice.gov/usao-nj/pr/four-people-charged-fifth-pleads-guilty-45-million-health-care-fraud-conspiracy-targeting