TRENTON — Legal professional Basic Matthew J. Platkin and Interim Insurance coverage Fraud Prosecutor Al Garcia introduced at the moment that an Essex County man has been indicted on costs associated to the monetary exploitation of a 90-year-old lady, after the suspect allegedly abused his authority over her funds to steal tens of hundreds of {dollars} from the sufferer.
John Boston, 47, of Verona, New Jersey, has been indicted by a state grand jury on one depend of theft (2nd diploma) and one depend of theft by failure to make required disposition (2nd diploma), following an investigation by the Workplace of the Insurance coverage Fraud Prosecutor’s (OIFP) Medicaid Fraud Management Unit (MFCU). The investigation started after a referral from the Workplace of the Lengthy-Time period Care Ombudsman. At his arraignment final month in state Superior Court docket in Essex County, Boston pleaded not responsible.
In line with the investigation, Boston, a registered monetary advisor on the time, signed a contract with the sufferer, agreeing to help in managing her affairs and belongings. Nevertheless, the defendant by no means obtained authorization from his employer to tackle the sufferer as a shopper, didn’t notify his employer and didn’t register the sufferer as a shopper, as required by the federal Monetary Trade Regulatory Authority.
Boston then signed a sturdy monetary energy of legal professional with the then-90-year-old sufferer on or about June 27, 2017, and it’s alleged that by means of a collection of transactions, together with ATM withdrawals and financial institution transfers, Boston diverted greater than $75,000 from the sufferer. It’s alleged that Boston used his personal debit card to withdraw the cash and spent it on his personal payments and purchases for himself and his household. In the meantime, in line with the investigation, he defaulted on the sufferer’s payments and uncared for her care and wellbeing.
“Victimizing our senior residents below the guise of offering skilled providers happens too typically, and the results on the victims and their households might be devastating,” stated Legal professional Basic Platkin. “Nobody ought to need to worry dropping their life’s financial savings or their dwelling as a result of somebody purporting to be knowledgeable violated their responsibility and belief. We are going to proceed to carry accountable those that commit elder abuse.”
“We now have sources in place whose sole mission is to eradicate this kind of exploitation,” stated Interim Insurance coverage Fraud Prosecutor Garcia. “We’re steadfast in investigating and prosecuting these circumstances. In the event you goal our aged, you’ll get caught, and you’ll face justice.”
Second-degree costs carry a sentence of 5 to 10 years in New Jersey State Jail and a fantastic of as much as $150,000.
The fees are merely accusations and the defendant is presumed harmless till confirmed responsible.
Deputy Legal professional Basic Lawrence Krayn is prosecuting the case for the OIFP – MFCU, below the supervision of Assistant Bureau Chief Michael Klein and Bureau Chief Heather Hadley. Detectives Little Trenard and Chantel Blake led the investigation, below the supervision of Lt. Jarek Pyrzanowski, Lt. Joseph Jaruszewski and Deputy Chief Wealthy King. Investigator SeRonne Anderson and Analyst Keira McRae-Wiggins additionally performed integral roles within the investigation. Interim Insurance coverage Fraud Prosecutor Garcia thanked his employees for his or her work on this case, and to the Lengthy-Time period Care Ombudsman for the referral.
New Jersey MFCU’s whole funding for federal fiscal yr (FY) 2023 is $9,418,641. Of that whole, 75 %, or $7,063,984, is awarded below a grant from the U.S. Division of Well being and Human Providers. The remaining 25 %, totaling $2,354,657 for FY 2023, is funded by the State of New Jersey.
OIFP’s Medicaid Fraud Management Unit particularly protects Medicaid beneficiaries and the Medicaid Program from fraud, waste, and abuse. Additional, the Unit could evaluation complaints of abuse or neglect of sufferers or residents in care services whatever the funding supply. To report fraud, abuse or neglect, please electronic mail NJMFCU@njdcj.org or name 609-292-1272. In case you are involved about insurance coverage dishonest basically, and have details about insurance coverage fraud, you’ll be able to report fraud anonymously by calling the toll-free hotline at 1-877-55-FRAUD, or visiting www.NJInsurancefraud.org. State laws allow a reward to be paid to eligible individuals who present data that results in an arrest, prosecution, and conviction for insurance coverage fraud.
Protection Legal professional: Dennis Clearly, Esq. of West Orange
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