Nine charged in insurance scam: Monroe County women, accomplices got $1 million in payouts illegally, officials say. [The Morning Call, Allentown, Pa.]

Mar. 30--A Monroe County woman received more than $700,000 in insurance company payouts over the past decade saying she needed long-term home health care for chronic pain and rheumatoid arthritis, but she got a time-share and three Cadillacs, according to Attorney General Tom Corbett.

The attorney general on Monday announced that Judi Grate, 59, of 216 Birch Hollow Drive, Effort, was one of nine people charged in an insurance fraud scheme that allegedly bilked four insurance companies out of more than $1 million.

Grate and Bianca Bucano, 59, of 2 Harvest Hill Drive, Effort, were primary actors in the scam -- the ones allegedly receiving home health care -- and enlisted the help of family members and friends who would complete and sign fake caregiver invoices and receipts, Corbett said.

Corbett said little or no health care was ever provided to both women.

Grate and Bucano got help from seven others, including Bucano's daughter Melissa, 21, and her son Christopher, 27, and Grate's niece, Pecilla Grate Flowers, 55, of Georgetown, S.C. Also charged are Grace John, 48, of Blakeslee; Uhura "Nicole" Byrd, 37, of Newark, N.J.; Barbara Rollins, 62, of Raeford, N.C.; and Patricia Lesane, 51, of Georgetown, S.C.

Evidence and testimony regarding the alleged criminal activity was presented to a statewide investigating grand jury, which recommended the charges.

All the defendants are being charged with 16 counts of forgery, 13 counts of insurance fraud, four counts of theft by deception, three counts of criminal attempt to commit theft by deception, two counts of corrupt organizations and one count each of theft by failure to make required disposition of funds, dealing in proceeds of unlawful activity and conspiracy.

Grate claimed she was suffering from fibromyalgia and rheumatoid arthritis and needed home care services, and submitted invoices to Philadelphia American Life Insurance Co. or the Genworth Life Insurance Co. from June 20, 2000, to Jan. 20, receiving a total of $361,289 from Genworth and $368,000 from the other company. Seven of the co-defendants helped by completing and signing the caregiver invoices and receipts, according to court records.

Grate was not employed at the time, yet she purchased a time-share and three Cadillacs, Corbett said.

Also, Grate allegedly assisted Bianca and Melissa Bucano in stealing more than $371,000 from AIG Centennial Insurance Co., MetLife Insurance Co. and the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency Victim's Compensation Program.

The grand jury found that Bianca Bucano filed a fraudulent claim with MetLife, saying she was recently diagnosed with fibromyalgia and was receiving home care services from J. Grate Home Health Services.

In the claim, she said her son Christopher provided her with 10 hours of home care services a day from Jan. 13, 2009, through Sept. 30, 2009, but on many of those days he was incarcerated, hospitalized or attending court hearings.

She received more than $321,000 from MetLife, and an additional $50,000 from AIG and the state's victim compensation program for falsely claiming she received home health care from J. Grate Home Health Services for a November 2000 hit-and-run accident in which no injuries were reported to police.

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