Fully a quarter of illegals who are eligible for the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program can’t speak English at all – 46 percent can only speak it a little. That’s according to a 2016 study from the Center for Immigration Studies, coming to light once again because President Donald Trump’s administration is due to end…
The Army Chief of Staff, Gen. Mark Milley, checks out a cyber/electronic warfare unit at the National Training Center. WASHINGTON: Over the next few weeks, US Army leaders will make major decisions about the Futures Command they’re standing up this summer. The new organization will be the biggest departure in how the Army buys weapons in…
On paper, the ketogenic diet sounds great. Every January, fat’s in the crosshairs of health columnists, fitness magazines, and desperate Americans. This year, PopSci looks at the macronutrient beyond its most negative associations. What’s fat good for? How do we get it to go where we want it to? Where does it wander when it’s lost?…
A New Jersey woman won $5 million with a scratch-off lottery ticket she purchased accidentally in New York City and didn’t even bother checking for two weeks. Oksana Zaharov, 46, of Edgewater, told New York Lottery officials she meant to buy $1 scratch-off ticket but was mistakenly issued a $10 Set for Life ticket by the…
U.S. President Donald Trump praised Iranian protesters Tuesday, saying they were “finally acting against the brutal and corrupt” regime in Tehran, even as Iran’s supreme leader accused the government’s enemies of stirring the violent anti-government demonstrations. Trump contended in a Twitter comment that “all of the money” that his predecessor, former President Barack Obama, “so foolishly…
The Long Branch teenager who allegedly killed his parents, sister and a family friend on New Year’s Eve opened fire “at close range” using a semi-automatic rifle containing 15 bullets, prosecutors said Tuesday. Law enforcement officials also revealed a third person – a woman in her 20s – fled the house when the shots began along…
The National Weather Service has issued a winter storm watch for five New Jersey counties in advance of a strong storm system that could drop up to a half-foot of snow on parts of the region. The watch is effective from 9 p.m. Wednesday through 7 p.m. Thursday in Atlantic, Cape May, Monmouth and Ocean counties,…
After North Korea dictator Kim Jong Un boasted about having the nuclear button at his desk, U.S. President Donald Trump let “Rocket Man” know what was on his mind.
In a Tweet tonight, Trump said:
North Korean Leader Kim Jong Un just stated that the “Nuclear Button is on his desk at all times.” Will someone from his depleted and food starved regime please inform him that I too have a Nuclear Button, but it is a much bigger & more powerful one than his, and my Button works!
RATE COALITION CO-CHAIR JAMES P. PINKERTON: “TAX BILL IS THE RISING TIDE THAT WILL LIFT ALL AMERICANS’ BOATS”
“Interestingly, in the wake of the recent vote, many companies — including at least two RATE members, AT&T and Boeing — have already announced substantial new benefits for their employees and stakeholders, as part of their overall commitment to investing more in America.”
Tax bill is the rising tide that will lift all Americans’ boats
By James P. Pinkerton
The Hill
December 31, 2017
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Republicans, of course, are already confident that the tax bill will prove itself to be strongly pro-growth: We know that the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act is the logical continuation of the economic ideas made popular in the late 1970s by Jack Kemp, and then embraced, too, by Ronald Reagan. That is, lower tax rates lead to greater growth — including more government revenues.
…
So now, after more than six years of effort, we have the satisfaction of seeing our goal achieved. At 21 percent, our corporate rate is, indeed, internationally competitive.
Interestingly, in the wake of the recent vote, many companies — including at least two RATE members, AT&T and Boeing — have already announced substantial new benefits for their employees and stakeholders, as part of their overall commitment to investing more in America. We expect many more companies to join them as the economy, now spurred by the tax cut, expands in the years to come.
As John F. Kennedy said as he pushed for his tax cut in 1963, “A rising tide lifts all boats.” JFK was right then, and his wisdom is ongoing today. So despite the many differences between the two parties, the pursuit of that rising tide could yet be a goal that unites all of us.
While the brutal stretch of cold temperatures in New Jersey is showing no signs of letting up, the possibility of snow later this week appears more likely. Projected snowfall amounts, however, remains uncertain. Forecasters say up to 4 inches of snow could fall along the Jersey Shore starting Wednesday night and continuing into Thursday, according to…
Chocolate could reportedly vanish as early as 2050. This revelation has led scientists from the University of California at Berkeley to work with Virginia-based manufacturer Mars, Incorporated to save the cacao plant from disappearing. Warmer temperatures and drier weather conditions are expected to be the root of the cacao plants’ potential disappearance, according to Business Insider.…
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Suspected Superstorm Contractor Fraud Charged for Failing to Provide Services to Victims
Attorney General Christopher S. Porrino and the New Jersey Division of Consumer Affairs have filed a Complaint alleging that a South Jersey-based contractor used deceptive practices to obtain more than $348,000 in federal relief funds from nine homeowners who sought to have their damaged homes rebuilt, elevated and/or repaired after Superstorm Sandy.
According to the Complaint, filed in the Superior Court Chancery Division in Ocean County, D.J.M. Households Inc., doing business as Jersey Pride Home Renovations, and its owner, William A. Wolford, allegedly violated the New Jersey Consumer Fraud Act and a number of regulations governing contractors and advertising by failing to perform contracted-for home improvements and/or home elevations after receiving federal Reconstruction, Rehabilitation, Elevation and Mitigation (RREM) Program funds, Landlord Rental Repair Program (LRRP) funds, and consumer payments.
The Complaint alleges that D.J.M. Households, which maintained an office in Cherry Hill and later in Mullica Hill, pressured consumers to sign contracts for renovation, rebuilding and/or elevating Sandy-damaged homes, took money, which included RREM Program or LRRP funds, and then failed to begin work and/or abandoned unfinished projects without returning for weeks, months or at all.
“More than five years after Superstorm Sandy, some New Jersey residents are still suffering from its devastation. Unscrupulous contractors have added to that agony,” said Attorney General Porrino. “Deceiving and profiting from displaced homeowners by making false promises is a cruel abuse and will not be tolerated.”
“Rooting out and disciplining rogue contractors who have preyed on some of the state’s most vulnerable homeowners is a priority for the Division,” said Sharon M. Joyce, Acting Director of the Division of Consumer Affairs. “As long as there are those who would take advantage of others’ desperation, we will continue to be vigilant and protect those in need.”
Seven of the consumers identified in the Complaint received funds from the RREM Program, administered by the New Jersey Department of Community Affairs (DCA), to pay for construction work on Sandy-damaged homes. Another two consumers identified in the Complaint received LLRP funds, also administered by DCA.
The defendants, the Complaint alleges, sought to pressure consumers into signing contracts by including “terms and conditions” that indicated the quoted price for the home improvement work was only valid for 48 hours and that contractor scheduling was on a “first come first serve method.”
The Complaint also alleges that although the D.J.M. Household contracts often stated that the defendants would obtain the necessary building and zoning permits for the home elevation and home improvement work, the defendants delayed filing for the permits without providing any explanation. These delays caused homeowners to be displaced for even longer periods and resulted in additional housing and/or storage fees. Landlords also were unable to have their rental properties occupied, leading to loss of rental income.
“In order to help homeowners in the State’s RREM Program withstand contractor fraud, my Department created and instituted a policy that provides additional assistance to defrauded homeowners,” said DCA Commissioner Charles A. Richman. “We see first-hand how dishonest contractors upend Sandy-impacted families’ rebuilding projects and lives, and we stand with the Division of Consumer Affairs in doing whatever we can to thwart these contractors’ deceptive practices.”
The Complaint, among other things, also alleges that:
- The defendants violated the Home Elevation Regulations by engaging in the business of home elevations without being registered as a Home Elevation Contractor with the Division.
- At various times, the defendants performed home elevation and/or home improvement work in a substandard manner.
- The defendants on at least one occasion abandoned home elevation work while the home was raised, causing the dwelling to separate in the middle and the walls to crack, leaving the home uninhabitable.
- At various times, the defendants performed home improvement and/or home elevation work that failed to pass municipal inspections, and then failed to correct the work.
- The defendants on at least one occasion left construction debris from another home elevation project on a consumer’s property and failed to remove it, causing the consumer to incur additional costs to remove the material.
- At various times, the defendants caused damage to consumers’ homes while performing work and failed to correct the damage or compensate the consumer for the damage.
The Complaint seeks consumer restitution, a return of the federal funds unlawfully acquired by the defendants, civil penalties as well as reimbursement of attorneys’ fees and costs. The Complaint also seeks to permanently enjoin the defendants from performing home elevation and/or home improvement work in New Jersey.
Investigators Joseph Iasso and Maureen Browne of the Division’s Office of Consumer Protection conducted the investigation.
Deputy Attorney General Jeffrey Koziar of the Consumer Fraud Prosecution Section within the Division of Law, is representing the State in this action.
Consumers who believe they have been cheated or scammed by a business, or suspect any other form of consumer abuse, can file an online complaint with the State Division of Consumer Affairs by visiting its website or by calling 1-800-242-5846 (toll free within New Jersey) or 973-504- 6200.
Attorney General Christopher S. Porrino and the Division of Consumer Affairs today announced that a Committee of the State Board of Medical Examiners (“the Committee”) has temporarily suspended the license of a Middlesex surgeon amid allegations he jeopardized his patients’ health and safety by reusing single-use catheters on multiple patients during anorectal diagnostic testing.
Dr. Sanjiv K. Patankar, an East Brunswick practitioner, allegedly washed and reused the small, flexible catheters inserted into patients’ rectums during medical procedures, according to a Verified Complaint filed by the State.
The catheters are meant to be thrown away after a single use, but Patankar used them on at least five patients before discarding them because supplies for replacement catheters were on backorder, the State alleges.
After taking testimony and reviewing evidence during a hearing last week, the Committee unanimously found that Patankar demonstrated a fundamental lack of judgment and placed patients in clear and imminent danger by reusing the catheters.
“It is appalling that a doctor would engage in such an unsanitary and dangerous practice,” said Attorney General Porrino. “Through his alleged conduct, Dr. Patankar has demonstrated a reckless disregard for public safety that placed countless patients at risk of communicable diseases.”
“Dr. Patankar’s alleged conduct not only violates professional standards, it reveals an alarming lack of judgment that calls into question his fitness to practice,” said Sharon Joyce, Acting Director of the Division of Consumer Affairs. “By temporarily suspending his license, the Board fulfilled its duty to protect the public from this practitioner while these very disturbing allegations are pending.”
Patankar used the catheters on patients undergoing “anorectal manometry” testing in his office. An anorectal manometry is performed to evaluate patients with constipation, fecal incontinence, or other possible disorders that may involve the anorectal sphincter. During the test, one end of the catheter, with a small balloon on the end, is inserted into the patient’s rectum, and the other end of the catheter is attached to a machine that measures pressure. During the test, the small balloon may be inflated in the rectum to assess the normal reflex pathways.
During the hearing on Tuesday, the state argued that even though the packaging on the catheters specifically states “do not reuse,” Patankar reused them on multiple patients because the anorectal manometry testing equipment in his office is outdated and replacement catheters from the manufacturer are on backorder.
Patankar allegedly instructed his medical assistants to wash the used catheters in soap and water, soak them in bleach solution for 30 minutes, and then rinse and let air dry. Once the catheters were dry, they were put back in their original packaging so they could be reused. Even when a catheter began breaking down from over-bleaching, Patankar ordered his medical assistant to continue using it, the State alleges.
During the hearing on December 19, the Committee heard conflicting testimony from Patankar’s medical assistants about the reuse of catheters. However, the Committee resolved the discrepancies in favor of the State; finding that documentary evidence showed that although 82 anorectal procedures were performed in Patankar’s office between January 1 and November 30, 2017, there were only 5 catheters ordered during that period of time.
Under the Committee’s order, Patankar’s license will remain temporarily suspended pending a full hearing in the Office of Administrative Law (“OAL”) on the allegations against him, and until the Board takes final action based on the OAL’s findings.
Patankar was given a 30-day wind-down period during which he can only practice in a hospital setting, and during which he must provide documentation to the Board that he is transferring his care to other physicians.
The Committee further ordered that Patankar must provide the Board with a list of patients who underwent anal manometry testing from January 1, 2011 to the present.
The Committee gave Patankar the opportunity for reconsideration of its decision at the January 10, 2018 Board meeting. However, this opportunity can only be invoked if he has documentary evidence supporting that he in fact ordered catheters that would account for all of the 82 procedures that he performed from January 1, 2017 to November 30, 2017.
Investigators with the Enforcement Bureau within the Division of Consumer Affairs conducted the investigation.
Deputy Attorney General Bindi Merchant, of the Professional Boards Prosecution Section in the Division of Law, is representing the State in this matter.
Darren Gelber, Esq., represented Dr. Patankar in this matter.
Patients who believe that they have been treated by a licensed health care professional in an inappropriate manner can file an online complaint with the State Division of Consumer Affairs by visiting its website or by calling 1-800-242-5846 (toll free within New Jersey) or 973-504- 6200.
ttorney General Christopher S. Porrino and the Office of the Insurance Fraud Prosecutor (OIFP) announced that a former Brick Township employee today was sentenced to five years in state prison for stealing more than $940,000 from the township’s health insurance program.
Kim E. Bogan, 52, of Brick, was sentenced in accordance with a plea agreement reached when she pleaded guilty to second-degree theft by deception on October 24, 2017. She must also pay $941,354.77 in restitution to Brick Township under the terms of the plea agreement and sentence imposed by Superior Court Judge Linda G. Baxter in Ocean County.
During her plea hearing, Bogan, who worked in the township’s Building Department, admitted that between January 2011 and April 2017 she assisted an-out-of-state health care practitioner in submitting false claims to her employee health insurance program, which is self-funded by Brick Township. The claims were for treatments purportedly rendered to individuals covered under Bogan’s policy.
Bogan admitted she allowed the practitioner to submit claims on her insurance for services she knew had not been rendered and then endorsed the insurance checks when they were mailed to her, knowing the money was stolen.
“This defendant is going to prison for willingly participating in a health care claims scheme that cost Brick Township taxpayers – her own friends and neighbors – nearly a million dollars,” said Attorney General Porrino. “Her sentence sends a message that stealing money from health care plans is a serious crime with serious consequences, no matter what role you play in the illegal plot.”
“Through her illegal acts, the defendant stole taxpayer dollars meant to cover health care services for township employees. In addition to serving time in prison, she will be responsible for repaying those stolen funds,” said Acting Insurance Fraud Prosecutor Christopher Iu. “We will continue to aggressively investigate and prosecute individuals who commit these kind of health care claims crimes.”
Deputy Attorney General Thomas G. Tresansky, Jr. represented the State at sentencing. Detectives Cortney Lawrence and Jared England coordinated the investigation. Attorney General Porrino thanks Brick Township Administrator Joanne Bergin, as well as the Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield Special Investigations Unit for their assistance in the investigation.
Steven Secare, Esq., of Secare & Hensel, represented Bogan at sentencing.
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.
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