Attorney General Christopher S. Porrino and the Office of Insurance Fraud Prosecutor today announced that an Essex County pediatrician was found guilty at trial of submitting fraudulent claims to the Medicaid Program through which she falsely billed for working 24 hours or more a day.
Ibilola Ighama-Amegor, 55, whose Quality Pediatrix practice is located in Newark, was found guilty by an Essex County jury of 48 counts of health care claims fraud and one count of Medicaid fraud, all in the third degree.
The panel acquitted Amegor of second-degree theft by deception. The verdict followed a five-week trial before Superior Court Judge Michael Petrolle in Newark.
Third-degree crimes carry a sentence of three to five years in state prison and a criminal fine of up to $15,000. Sentencing for Amegor is scheduled for July 31, 2017.
At trial, the state presented testimony that Amegor submitted bills for 24 hours or more of work on 48 dates of service between April 30, 2008 and May 16, 2011. An investigation by the Office of the Insurance Fraud Prosecutor determined that Amegor’s practice was only open for approximately eight hours per day, three days a week.
Jurors deliberated seven days before reaching a verdict on Wednesday.
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.