The New Jersey Attorney General issued the following news release:

A Hoboken couple has been sentenced to one year probation and ordered to pay $49,054 in restitution for stealing health care insurance benefits, Attorney General Anne Milgram announced today.

According to Division of Criminal Justice Director Deborah L. Gramiccioni, James P. O'Connor, 52, and his wife, Debbie M. O'Connor, 50, were sentenced Friday and each ordered to pay a $2,500 civil insurance fraud fine in addition to paying restitution to a number of health insurance companies.

The couple had pleaded guilty in April before Judge Michael L. Ravin in Superior Court, Hudson County, to accusations which charged them each with third degree theft by deception.

The O'Connors admitted that they divorced in 2001, but failed to notify James O'Connor's employer, the Hoboken Board of Education, of the change in their marital status. The couple remarried in April 2007. During the six years that they were divorced, James O'Connor misrepresented the couple's marital status and obtained health care insurance coverage for and submitted $49,054 in fraudulent claims for Debbie O'Connor.

The O'Connors admitted that they caused the Oxford Insurance Company, the New Jersey State Health Benefits Program, which is administered by Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield, the Hoboken Board of Education, whose benefits program is also administered by Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield, Delta Dental Insurance Company, Bollinger Insurance, and Maxor Pharmaceutical Services to pay a total of $49,054.72 for medical services for Debbie O'Connor to which she was not entitled.


The Accusations to which the defendants pled guilty were filed by the Division of Criminal Justice's Office of the Insurance Fraud Prosecutor, which investigates and prosecutes both civil and criminal insurance fraud related cases.

Detective Thomas Ference, Civil Investigator Megan Flanagan, and Deputy Attorney General Geraldine Zidow were assigned to the investigation into this case. DAG Zidow represented the State at the guilty plea hearing.

This case was referred to OIFP by the Special Investigative Unit of Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield which initially uncovered the fraud and assisted OIFP in the investigation. Director Gramiccioni thanked the insurance companies for their assistance in this matter.

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.

Copyright Targeted News Services

TNS nr01 090626-mv45-2324841 61MarlynVitin