Waterbury hearing aid dealer Dennis Dellaghelfa, 53, has pleaded guilty to health care fraud for submitting over $6 million in false Medicaid claims. According to court documents, Dellaghelfa, owner of General Hearing, submitted fraudulent claims for services and equipment not provided or medically unnecessary between June 2016 and April 2022.
The court heard that during the time frame, Dellaghelfa was traveling outside the U.S., yet he claimed to have provided services to six patients. He also knew his employees did not possess required permits for their work, yet he submitted paperwork for services and hearing aids that were neither necessary nor performed. Furthermore, he paid recruiters for bringing non-needy patients who then received hearing aids.
As part of his plea agreement, Dellaghelfa has agreed to repay the state $6,141,857 and forfeit $332,675 from his personal and business accounts. He faces a maximum sentence of 10 years for the health care fraud charge and is scheduled for sentencing on May 16.
The investigation was led by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG), with support from the Waterbury Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Heather L. Cherry and Elena L. Coronado are prosecuting the case.
Dellaghelfa remains free pending sentencing, while those with information on health care fraud can report it to 1-800-HHS-TIPS.
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Key Facts
- State: Connecticut
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Fraud & Financial Crimes|Public Corruption
- Source: Official Source ↗
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