Siblings Conspired to Pull Off Medical Insurance Scheme
FREEHOLD – A Monmouth County grand jury returned an indictment Monday charging a suspended Asbury Park police officer and his sister with an insurance fraud scheme, announced Acting Monmouth County Prosecutor Christopher J. Gramiccioni.
Alix Antoine, 37, a suspended 12-year veteran of the Asbury Park Police Department, is named in the 4-count indictment charging him with one count each of second degree Official Misconduct, Conspiracy to Commit Official Misconduct, Insurance Fraud and third degree Tampering with Public Records. His sister Patricia Louis, a/k/a Patricia Antoine, 43, of Clifton, is also named in the indictment and charged with one count each of second degree Conspiracy to Commit Official Misconduct and Insurance Fraud.
The charges stem from an investigation by the Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office that revealed Antoine, while employed as a member of the Asbury Park Police Department, filed false documents enabling his sister to obtain medical benefits she was not entitled to receive.
If convicted of Official Misconduct, Antoine faces a mandatory sentence of five years in a New Jersey state prison without parole and a maximum sentence of 10 years imprisonment, with a statutorily mandated five-year period of parole ineligibility. He would also be under parole supervision for three years following his release from state prison.
If convicted of any of the second degree offenses, the siblings each face a sentence of up to 10 years in prison on each count. If convicted of the third degree offenses, each would face a sentence of three to five years in prison.
Antoine is currently free after posting $150,000 bail with no 10 percent option, as set by now-Appellate Court Judge Francis J. Vernoia, who was then the Presiding Judge of the Criminal Court in Monmouth County. Judge Vernoia also ordered Antoine to surrender his passport and all firearms. Patricia Louis was released on her own recognizance and also required to surrender her passport.
The case is assigned to Monmouth County Assistant Prosecutor Jennifer Lipp.
Antoine is represented by James Fagen, Esq., of Freehold, and Louis is represented by Thomas H. Martin, Esq., of Red Bank.
Despite these charges, every defendant is presumed innocent, unless and until found guilty beyond a reasonable doubt, following a trial at which the defendant has all of the trial rights guaranteed by the U.S. Constitution and State law.
In November 2012, the Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office, under the leadership of Prosecutor Gramiccioni, launched a Corruption Tip Line designed to solicit the public’s assistance in identifying and targeting corruption, fraud and misconduct occurring in local governmental agencies.
Citizens may report concerns via the following: Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office Corruption Tip Line – 855-7-UNJUST (855 786-5878); or E-mail at: corruption@co.monmouth.nj.us write “Corruption/Misconduct Tip” in the subject line.
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