Ridgewood NJ, A large tree fell and blocked the main roadway leading to the Village of Ridgewood’s Water Pollution Control and Signal Bureau facilities located at 561 Prospect Street, Glen Rock, on Wednesday morning, 09/27. Primary and secondary electric lines were taken down to the ground when the tree dropped. Glen Rock PD Patrol Officer James McGill was dispatched to the incident and requested PSE&G technicians be summoned. Crews from the Village’s Shade Tree Division responded to cut, chip, and remove the debris. Smaller vehicles were able to use an alternate entrance/exit to the facility while the main roadway was blocked.
Park Ridge NJ, Attorney General Christopher S. Porrino and the Office of the Insurance Fraud Prosecutor (OIFP) today announced that a Bergen County chiropractor has been charged as the final defendant in a multi-level insurance fraud network run by Colts Neck Brothers Anhuar and Karim Bandy.
Anthony Riotto, 44, who operates Riotto Family Chiropractic in Park Ridge, was charged by accusation with third-degree health care claims fraud in connection with the Bandy brothers’ criminal network.
He is the final defendant charged in a complex insurance fraud scheme in which the Bandy brothers paid illegal “runners” to recruit car crash victims as patients for chiropractic facilities they controlled, then collected kickbacks for referring those victims for medical and legal services provided by others who pleaded guilty in the scheme, including a doctor, a lawyer, three licensed chiropractors, a paralegal and a licensed acupuncturist.
“We are moving forward with our prosecution of the final defendant in an investigation that put a stop to egregious corruption of New Jersey’s medical, legal, and insurance industries,” said Attorney General Porrino. “We will continue to enforce the laws that protect patients from being treated like cattle being sold to the highest bidder.”
“Patients must be able to trust that medical decisions are being made in their interest, not in the interest of criminals trying to scam the insurance system,” said Acting Insurance Fraud Prosecutor Christopher Iu. “As this case demonstrates, anyone who exploits and manipulates patients for financial gain will be held accountable.”
According to the allegations against him, Riotto caused numerous fraudulent claims to be submitted to five insurance carriers in connection with patients he referred to MLS Medical, a Park Ridge practice specializing in pain management owned by another participant in the Bandy brother’s criminal scheme.
Riotto allegedly received the patients for his chiropractic practice through the Bandy brothers’ illegal runners network, then referred them to MLS Medical without disclosing to them that he had a financial interest in the practice. MLS Medical, in turn, submitted insurance claims for those patients without disclosing to insurance carriers that the patients had been referred by a practitioner with financial interest in the practice.
Twelve defendants have pleaded guilty and been sentenced in the criminal enterprise exposed in the April 2014 indictment of Anhuar and Karim Bandy and 10 others. Five more individuals, including Riotto, were subsequently charged in connection with the scheme.
The Bandy brothers have admitted that between June 1, 2009 and January 1, 2014 they illegally controlled several chiropractic facilities through purported “management companies” and “marketing companies” whose real purpose was to hide their ownership. New Jersey regulations require that chiropractic facilities be owned by licensed chiropractors or medical doctors; neither Bandy holds such titles.
In order to generate revenue for the chiropractic facilities, the brothers used “runners” to bring motor vehicle accident patients to the facilities so the straw owners could bill insurance carriers for services rendered at the facilities. An investigation determined that, through the scheme, the chiropractic facilities billed insurance companies for millions of dollars for services they purported to perform. The checks sent by the insurance carriers were deposited into the various accounts of the chiropractic facilities or the management companies. A large portion of the monies deposited into the accounts of the chiropractic facilities would then be paid to the Bandy management companies.
The runners were paid up to $1,000 for each patient that they recruited for medical treatment. An investigation determined that the runners retrieved motor vehicle accident reports at local police stations, under the Open Public Records Act rules, and then visited the homes of the motor vehicle accident victims in an attempt to persuade them to utilize the services of the chiropractic facilities controlled by the Bandy brothers. The runners picked up the motor vehicle accident patients from their homes and drove them to the chiropractic facilities. An investigation determined that payments were made to companies incorporated by Karim Bandy for over a thousand referrals of patients for medical treatment and/or clients for legal representation.
In July 2015, Anhuar and Karim Bandy pleaded guilty to second-degree insurance fraud and were each sentenced to six-and-a-half-year prison terms in hearings that took place in June and July, respectively, of this year. They also were ordered to pay a $100,000 fine and $50,000 reimbursement to insurance companies that paid thousands of fraudulent claims over a four-year period.
The following professional service providers pleaded guilty and were sentenced in the scheme:
Dr. Mark Schwartz, D.O., 50, of Park Ridge, owner of MLS Medical in Park Ridge who pleaded guilty to one count of third-degree health care claims fraud and was sentenced to three years of probation and 40 hours of community service.
David Walker, Esq., 58, of Rockaway, a personal injury lawyer who pleaded guilty to one count of third-degree conspiracy and was sentenced to two years of probation and 40 hours of community service.
Alexandra Gallegos, 55, of Piscataway, a paralegal who received a percentage of the profits of Walker’s firm, who filed personal injury claims on behalf of the motor vehicle accident patients. She pleaded guilty to third-degree conspiracy and third-degree criminal use of runners and was sentenced two years of probation, 40 hours of community service, and a $5,000 criminal fine.
Edward Formisano, D.C., 55, of Roxbury, a chiropractor and purported owner of Eclipse Chiropractic, located in Plainfield; Lakewood Chiropractic, located in Lakewood; Liberty Chiropractic Center, located in Jersey City; and Chiropractic Spine Center, located in Perth Amboy. He pleaded guilty to one count of third-degree health care claims fraud and was sentenced to two years of probation and 40 hours of community service.
Louis Brown, D.C., 65, of Rahway, a chiropractor and purported owner of True Healing and Wellness, located in New Brunswick; New Century Chiropractic, located in Dover; and Wellspring Rehabilitation, located in North Plainfield. He pleaded guilty to one count of third-degree criminal use of a runner and was sentenced to two years of probation and 40 hours of community service.
Gerald Roth, D.C., 69, of Highland Park, a chiropractor who pleaded guilty to one count of third-degree criminal use of runners and was sentenced to one year of probation.
Sergey Lipschitz, 44, of Morganville, an acupuncturist who pleaded guilty to one count of third-degree insurance fraud and was admitted into the Pretrial Intervention Program.
The following individuals pleaded guilty to criminal use of runners (3rd degree) and were sentenced:
Cesar Huaman, 48, of Orlando, Fla., who also recruited other runners in the scheme, also pleaded guilty to third-degree conspiracy. He was sentenced to two years of probation.
Estefania Frias, 27, of Plainfield, who is Anhuar Bandy’s fiancé, was sentenced to two years of probation, 40 hours of community service, a $2,000 criminal fine, and $2,000 in restitution.
Bernardo Neiman, 55, of Elizabeth, was sentenced to one year of probation.
Lillian Frias, 55, of Plainfield, who is Estefania Frias’ mother; Albert Lee Hughes, 35, of Orlando, Fla.; and Anali Rivera, 29, Somerville, were all admitted into the Pretrial Intervention Program based on the charges in the indictment. Charges are pending against Rene Lacotera, 39, of Elizabeth, who is being sought on a fugitive warrant.
In 2004, Anhuar Bandy was convicted on charges of criminal racketeering, conspiracy, health care claims fraud, and theft charges brought by the Office of the Insurance Fraud Prosecutor. Bandy subsequently served approximately four years in state prison.
Deputy Attorney Cheryl Maccaroni, Bureau Chief, Private Insurance, represented the State in the filing of the criminal charges against Riotto on September 8, 2017. Lt. Joseph Waters, Investigator/Analyst Marwa Kashef coordinated the investigation. Detectives Janet Amberg, Amy Carson, Heather Pittman, and Analyst Bethany Schussler assisted in the investigation. Acting Insurance Fraud Prosecutor Iu thanks the Special Investigations Units and counsel for the following insurance Companies: Allstate, Plymouth Rock, Liberty Mutual, Geico and Travelers; as well as the New Jersey Department of Banking and Insurance, the New Jersey Division of Taxation, and the National Insurance Crime Bureau for their assistance in the investigation.
Acting Insurance Fraud Prosecutor Iu noted that some important cases have started with anonymous tips. People who are concerned about insurance cheating and have information about a fraud can report it anonymously by calling the toll-free hotline at 1-877-55-FRAUD, or visiting the Web site at www.NJInsurancefraud.org. State regulations permit a reward to be paid to an eligible person who provides information that leads to an arrest, prosecution and conviction for insurance fraud.
Hawthorne NJ, No injuries were reported following a Tuesday evening, 09/26, crash in which a 4-door sedan was inadvertently driven into an open construction trench on Goffle Road under Route 208 in Hawthorne. The vehicle was removed from its predicament by a flatbed tow truck. Hawthorne Police officers were on the scene monitoring traffic flow at the construction site when the incident occurred. No word from officers on the scene as to whether any summonses would be issued in connection with the crash. The driver was provided with a “courtesy” ride home by Hawthorne Police.
Hahahaha, the “pompous anonymous” poster wants everyone else’s anonymity revealed. Maybe old Halaby can coin a phrase for such a person….POMPANYMOUS. Guess what, you can’t know who all the anonymous posters are, even though we have pretty much figured out who YOU are. hahaha
Ridgewood News only covers one Council member, Jeff Voight. That ought to tell you something. JV is front and center in every video, photo and news story. It’s very apparent that they are no longer a newspaper. The Ridgewood News is a public relations platform catering to a select group who share the same personal agendas. The same applies to the highly censored Facebook page, Ridgewood Mom and Dads. ————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————- Thank Good for this blog and two worthy community Facebook pages, It takes a Ridgewood Village and Ridgewood Moms and Dads with FREE SPEECH.
Glen Rock NJ, as previously reported on the Ridgewood blog , “The GRPD has been receiving a large amount of alcohol related juvenile calls this evening including large groups of juveniles causing disturbances around town. Please be advised that any juveniles caught in possession of alcohol can be charged on a juvenile delinquency complaint. We are advising parents who may be unaware of their children’s whereabouts to reach out to them.”
Glen Rock Police followed up , “Between approximately 8 PM and 9 PM a high volume of complaints were received about large groups of juveniles causing disturbances throughout the borough. While responding to a Sycamore Terrace resident’s complaint about juvenile trespassers, P.O. T.J. Graziani arrested a 16-year-old Glen Rock male for underage possession of alcohol. The juvenile was detained and turned over to the custody of his mother pending further action.
As the volume of complaints received exceeded the resources available to respond, Det. Jim Calaski sent out a message via the GRPD Facebook page advising parents who may be unaware of their children’s whereabouts or activities to reach out to them. In addition to 36 “likes”, parents apparently responded quickly as the call volume subsided and the presences of disorderly individuals around town subsided in a timely manner. ”
Ridgewood NJ, As autumn leaves fall and residents begin the process of clearing their properties, the Village begins the start of the 2017 leaf collection program. Leaf removal will begin October 23rd.
Ridgewood NJ, Three (3) gallons of liquid chlorine spilled inside of a utility building at the Ridgewood Water Company facility, 205 East Glen Avenue, Ridgewood on Tuesday morning, 09/26. An adult male who sustained serious injuries related to the spill was rushed to The Valley Hospital by a Ridgewood EMS ambulance. Paramedics from The Valley Hospital assisted Ridgewood EMTs. Ridgewood Police and Fire Department also responded.
Ridgewood NJ, PSE&G will be moving their gas line upgrade project to Doremus Ave beginning Wednesday September 27th. Through Friday September 29th. East Ridgewood Ave will be open to traffic in both directions the remainder of the week.
Ridgewood NJ, Former Democrat Rep. Anthony Weiner was sentenced Monday to 21 months in federal prison for sexting with a minor. In addition to the prison term, Weiner also was sentenced to three years of supervised release. Weiner, 53, who pleaded guilty last May to a single count of transferring obscene material to a minor.
Ridgewood NJ, with the ongoing political protests surrounding some players’ decision to take a knee during the national anthem didn’t help the NFL’s “Sunday Night Football” ratings.Viewership for the primetime game between the Washington Redskins and the Oakland Raiders was down on NBC by a whooping 11 percent from the same night one year ago and 9 percent from the previous week, according to The Hollywood Reporter. The media outlet reports the game averaged an 11.6 household rating and Fox saw a 16 percent decrease in ratings for the NFL afternoon game, according to Forbes.
Meanwhile in baseball news ,New York Mets outfielder Tim Tebow, who was heavily criticized by ESPN and NFL executives for taking a moment of silent prayer during games has helped attendance increased by 12.4 percent this year in the Florida State League and by 2.1 percent in the South Atlantic League.The National Association of Professional Baseball Leagues said Monday that the presence of the former NFL quarterback and Heisman Trophy winner led to an increase of over 225,000 fans in the two Class A leagues. Minor league baseball attendance rose by about 500,000 this year, but still below 2015’s level and its fifth-highest total.
Ridgewood NJ, in explosive testimony in the Senator Menendez Corruption trial , wealthy eye-doctor pal of Sen. Robert Menendez threatened to “make trouble” for the US Commerce Department through his “politically influential friends” if he did not get help with a troubled business project, it emerged at his bribery trial on Monday.
According to Commerce staffer Sam Smith a witness in the trial Dr. Salomon Melgen who is on trial for bribery alongside Menendez in Newark federal court made the threatening comments through a lawyer at a 2012 meeting. The lawyer set up the meeting to pressure Commerce Dept. officials to help Melgen with a costly contract dispute, Smith said.
“He was very aggressive and threatening and constantly brought up the fact that he could make trouble for the department and he could be a bull in the Commerce Dept.’s china shop,” Smith told jurors about the meeting with Melgen’s lawyer, Elio Muller.
“He stated that Dr. Melgen had politically influential friends and they could cause a lot of problems for Commerce Dept. if Dr. Melgen didn’t think he was being served well,” Smith added.
When asked who Muller was referring to when he spoke of Melgen’s “politically influential friends,” Smith didn’t hesitate to say Menendez, a senior Democratic senator from NJ who stands accused of accepting bribes from Melgen in exchange for official favors.
Ridgewood NJ, today is National Voter Registration Day , it is a national holiday celebrating our democracy. It was first observed in 2012 and has been growing in popularity every year since. Held on the fourth Tuesday of September, National Voter Registration Day will be observed on Tuesday, September 26th this year.
To vote in New Jersey, one must be a United States citizen and a resident of his or her county for at least 30 days prior to the election. A voter must be at least 18 years old by the time of the next election in order to register. The registration deadline occurs 21 days prior to the election.
Voter information for Bergen County : https://www.co.bergen.nj.us/DocumentCenter/View/499
Voter registration in Bergen County New Jersey: https://www.co.bergen.nj.us/DocumentCenter/View/1224
OCTOBER 17, 2017 DEADLINE GENERAL ELECTION (9:00 PM)
Ridgewood NJ, Teaching can be a profoundly rewarding career, considering the critical role educators play in shaping young minds. But many teachers find themselves overworked and underpaid. Historically education jobs are among the lowest-paying occupations requiring a bachelor’s degree, and teacher salaries consistently fail to keep up with inflation. Meanwhile, the law demands better student performance, but some critics argue that it deprives educators of guidance and positive incentive to improve their own effectiveness in the classroom.
This combination of job pressures, low pay and lack of mobility forces many teachers to quit soon after they start, a pattern that has led to a perpetual attrition problem in America’s public schools. According to the National Center for Education Statistics, about a fifth of all newly minted public-school teachers leave their positions before the end of their first year, and nearly half never last more than five. Many teachers, especially novices, transfer to other schools or abandon the profession altogether “as the result of feeling overwhelmed, ineffective, and unsupported,” according to ASCD, a nonprofit focused on improving the education community.
In some states, however, teachers are more fairly paid and treated than in others and therefore less likely to face a revolving door of teacher turnover. To help America’s educators find the best opportunities and teaching environments, WalletHub’s analysts compared the 50 states and the District of Columbia based on 21 key indicators of teacher-friendliness. Our data set ranges from teachers’ income growth potential to pupil-teacher ratio to teacher safety. Read on for our findings, expert insight from a panel of researchers and a full description of our methodology.
WalletHub ranked states that are most conducive to be a teacher , New Jersey placed second . The top 5 were New York, New Jersey, Illinois , Connecticut, Pennsylvania.
Apparently you do not understand the word ANONYMOUS. The entire success of The Blog is that it enables people (like YOU) to post ANONYMOUSLY. Clearly you do not want to be identified, you just want to send out anonymous snarky comments. But you are reading the blog, you are posting on the blog, so obviously you enjoy the blog. You have heard the old expression that you cannot have your cake and eat it too. Well, you cannot post anonymously and expect everyone else to be identified. There is a word for people like you, In fact there are are a few words for people like you. At the risk of being impolite while I post anonymously, let me just say that you are apparently not a rocket scientist.
