Maria P. Cosentino, Health Care Fraud, New Jersey 2024

Owner of New Jersey Counseling Center Sentenced to 15 Months in Prison

Newark, New Jersey – Maria P. Cosentino, 61, of Garfield, New Jersey, was sentenced to 15 months in prison for her role in a health care fraud scheme involving hundreds of false claims, announced U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger.

Cosentino pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Katharine S. Hayden to participating in a health care fraud scheme, and was sentenced in Newark federal court.

According to documents filed in the case and statements made in court, Cosentino owned Bergen Alliance Counseling Services, which provided counseling services and mental health treatment to children, families, couples, and adults.

Cosentino admitted to submitting false claims to private health insurance plans for counseling sessions that she never provided, and falsely claimed that various individuals had received counseling at the center when in fact they had been out of the country, had ceased attending the practice, or had never visited the counseling center at all.

The false claims caused insurance plans to issue reimbursement checks to the center even though the individuals had never received any treatment, resulting in illicit profits totaling over $700,000. Cosentino was ordered to pay restitution of $708,038.

U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge Nelson I. Delgado in Newark, with the investigation leading to the guilty plea.

The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney DeNae Thomas of the Health Care Fraud Unit in Newark.

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