Jefferson Woman Indicted for Insurance Fraud and Obtaining a Prescription Legend Drug by Fraud
Published on January 14, 2014
Acting Morris County Prosecutor Fredric M. Knapp and Rockaway Township Police Chief Walt Ardin announce that Eileen Grella, 44 years old, of Jefferson Township, New Jersey was indicted after an investigation revealed that she allegedly obtained a prescription drug by deception on ten different occasions. Additionally, defendant allegedly used her ex-husband's health insurance benefits when she obtained the prescriptions in the name of a minor child covered on an insurance policy to which the defendant was not a beneficiary.
The defendant had the prescriptions filled at the Shop Rite in Rockaway Township by allegedly posing as a physician's employee and contacting the pharmacy eleven separate times between October, 2012 and March, 2013 for Tramadol. A Shop Rite pharmacist called the prescribing doctor's office and learned that the prescription was fake after the defendant allegedly called the eleventh time.
The defendant paid the prescription co-pay pursuant to her ex-husband's health insurance policy, underwritten by Horizon Blue Cross/Blue Shield of New Jersey, each time she picked up the filled prescriptions. Shop Rite Pharmacy then submitted a claim to Horizon for the remainder of the cost of each prescription pursuant to its contract with Horizon.
Defendant was arrested and charged by the Rockaway Township Police Department with insurance fraud and obtaining a controlled dangerous substance by fraud. Tramadol is a narcotic like prescription pain reliever used to treat moderate to severe pain but is not classified as a controlled dangerous substance under either federal law or New Jersey statutes. Tramadol is also known as Ultram.
Defendant was indicted on ten counts of Third Degree Insurance Fraud and ten counts of Fourth Degree Obtaining a Prescription Legend Drug by Fraud.
The lead detective handling the case is Morris County Prosecutor's Office/SSI Dawn Ryan. The State is represented by Assistant Prosecutor/SDAG James Cannon.
Acting Prosecutor Knapp thanks the Rockaway Township Police Department and the Morris County Prosecutor's Office Fraud/Insurance Fraud Unit, whose efforts contributed to this result.
The charges and allegations contained in the indictment are merely accusations, and the defendant is considered innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Any inquiries can be directed to First Assistant Morris County Prosecutor/SDAG Thomas Zelante at 973-285-6252 or tzelante@co.morris.nj.us.