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Boardman Doctor’s Fraud Conviction Second in Family
COLUMBUS, Ohio -- A Boardman Township doctor is the second in his family to be convicted of Workers’ Compensation fraud and banned from treating injured workers employed in Ohio. Dr. David Esarco pleaded guilty to Workers’ Compensation fraud for improper billing practices a year after his brother, Dr. John Esarco, was in court for similar offenses.
The Ohio Bureau of Workers’ Compensation and the Office of Attorney General Mike DeWine teamed to pursue fraud charges against the brothers who practiced medicine in the same office. The two have paid restitution of nearly $120,000.
“It is disappointing when a provider commits fraud at the expense of Ohio employers and injured workers in order to pad their paycheck,” said Steve Buehrer, BWC administrator/CEO. “We are pleased they have returned what they owe to the State Insurance Fund, but decertifying them as providers was important to ensuring other injured workers in northeastern Ohio receive the quality treatment they deserve from physicians with their best interests in mind.”
The bureau's special investigations department began its investigation of David Esarco after receiving information he was billing BWC for services he was not providing and billing for dates when injured workers were never scheduled for an office visit. The department executed a search warrant after several interviews and surveillance supported the allegations. An undercover operative posed as a patient and Esarco later billed for services never provided and billed for dates when the operative didn’t have a scheduled office visit.
Esarco pleaded guilty to a felony count of workers’ compensation fraud Nov. 15. He was ordered to pay restitution of $55,577.65 and $20,000 for investigative costs. He also agreed to voluntarily decertify as a BWC provider. Esarco has paid the full $75,577.65.
Esarco’s brother, John, pleaded guilty last year to fraud for similar offenses. The chiropractor was improperly billing the bureau for exercise therapy that he did not perform.
John Esarco pleaded guilty in August 2011 and received a six-month suspended jail sentence and ordered to pay restitution of $44,184.80. Esarco also signed a voluntary OBWC decertification letter and repaid the full amount.
Published by The Business Journal, Youngstown, Ohio.
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