{"id":57159,"date":"2024-08-05T16:06:04","date_gmt":"2024-08-05T23:06:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cjnotebook.com\/?p=57159"},"modified":"2024-08-05T16:06:04","modified_gmt":"2024-08-05T23:06:04","slug":"owner-of-tattoo-removal-business-pleads-guilty-to-healthcare-fraud-that-recruited-paraplegics","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cjnotebook.com\/?p=57159","title":{"rendered":"Owner of Tattoo Removal Business Pleads Guilty to Healthcare Fraud that Recruited Paraplegics"},"content":{"rendered":"

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0LOS ANGELES\u00a0<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"The owner of a tattoo removal business in South Gate pleaded guilty Monday to federal criminal charges for recruiting paraplegics in a healthcare fraud scheme<\/span><\/p>\n

The scam netted him more than $1.7 million . He also cheated on his taxes.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Joseph Tusia, 60, of Leominster, Massachusetts, pleaded guilty to a counts of information charging him with health care fraud and tax evasion.<\/span><\/p>\n

According to his plea agreement, Tusia operated a laser tattoo removal business in South Gate and 10 durable medical equipment supply companies (DMEs) in California, Nevada, and Massachusetts. <\/span><\/p>\n

\"LaTusia controlled the tattoo removal companies and the DMEs but intentionally withheld his name from bank accounts and state registrations to evade tax liability.<\/span><\/p>\n

On December 30, 2015, Tusia and a co-schemer submitted an application to Anthem Blue Cross (\u201cAnthem\u201d) for a small group health insurance plan. <\/span><\/p>\n

Anthem\u2019s small group plan permitted benefits and health coverage for permanent employees who worked full-time. <\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"Despite the eligibility requirements, Tusia submitted to Anthem the names of nine individuals purported to be full-time employees of Tattoo Removal and a person who was a dependent of Tusia. <\/span><\/p>\n

None of these alleged employees had a job with Tattoo Removal or qualified for health insurance under Tattoo Removal’s Anthem plan.<\/span><\/p>\n

According to his plea agreement, Tusia identified the alleged tattoo removal workers as his friends and associates who were paraplegic and required medical supplies, knowing and anticipating that the alleged tattoo removal workers would purchase their medical supplies from the DMEs that Tusia and his associates controlled.<\/span><\/p>\n

From March 2016 to June 2020, Tusia and his accomplices submitted fraudulent claims to Anthem for medical supplies supposedly provided to ineligible employees. <\/span><\/p>\n

As a result, Anthem paid approximately $1,731,215 to the DMEs controlled by Tusia.<\/span><\/p>\n

In his plea agreement, Tusia also admitted to knowingly failing to report over $1,573,644 in income from the DMEs between 2017 and 2020. <\/span><\/p>\n

He admitted to evading taxes by creating the DMEs and opening bank accounts in the names of his associates and accomplices.<\/span><\/p>\n

U.S. District Judge George Wu scheduled a Dec. 5\u00a0<\/b>sentencing hearing. <\/span><\/p>\n

At that hearing, Tusia faces up to 15 years in prison.<\/span><\/p>\n

The U.S. Department of Labor, the Employee Benefits Security Administration, the FBI, and the IRS Criminal Investigation are investigating this matter.<\/span><\/p>\n

Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeff Mitchell of the Major Frauds Section is prosecuting this case.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0LOS ANGELES\u00a0 The owner of a tattoo removal business in South Gate pleaded guilty Monday to federal criminal charges for recruiting paraplegics in a healthcare fraud scheme The scam netted him more…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":57160,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-57159","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"yoast_head":"\nOwner of Tattoo Removal Business Pleads Guilty to Healthcare Fraud that Recruited Paraplegics<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0LOS ANGELES\u00a0 The owner of a tattoo removal business in South Gate pleaded guilty Monday to federal criminal charges for recruiting paraplegics\" 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