By: Richard L. Smith
A New Jersey man has admitted to his involvement in a scheme that defrauded Amtrak’s health care plan by allowing medical providers to submit fraudulent claims in exchange for cash kickbacks, according to information released by the U.S. Department of Justice.
Anthony Saloka, 44, of Elizabeth, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Madeline Cox Arleo in Newark federal court to one count of conspiracy to commit health care fraud.
His plea is part of an ongoing federal investigation into fraudulent billing practices affecting Amtrak’s health care system.
Court documents and statements made in court detail how, from January 2019 through June 2022, Saloka and his co-conspirators participated in a scheme to exploit the healthcare system.
He and others provided their personal and insurance information to healthcare providers, allowing them to submit fraudulent claims for treatments that were either medically unnecessary or never performed.
In exchange, Saloka received thousands of dollars in cash kickbacks from multiple providers, including acupuncturist Punson Figueroa and podiatrist Michael DeNicola.
The investigation has already led to other convictions.
Figueroa previously pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit healthcare fraud and was sentenced on September 24, 2024, to 34 months in prison. DeNicola also pleaded guilty on June 29, 2022, to conspiracy to commit health care fraud, among other charges, and is awaiting sentencing.
In total, the fraudulent claims tied to the scheme led Amtrak’s health care plan to pay out more than $11 million.
The charge of conspiracy to commit health care fraud carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000 or twice the financial gain or loss from the crime, whichever is greater.
Saloka is scheduled to be sentenced on June 4, 2025.
