N.J. Businessman Sentenced in Auto, Chiropractic Scam

New Jersey Division of Criminal Justice Director Vaughn McKoy announced that an Essex County man has been sentenced for participating in a conspiracy to defraud New Jersey insurance companies out of more than $1.2 million as part of a broad-based chiropractic and automobile insurance fraud scheme.

According to McKoy and Insurance Fraud Prosecutor Greta Gooden-Brown, Carl Love, Jr., 47, of West Orange, Essex County, was ordered by Essex County Superior Court Judge Paul Vichness to serve three years probation and to pay court costs and fines.

Love was sentenced after pleading guilty on March 21 to conspiracy and possession of a weapon by a convicted felon. The charges resulted from a State Grand Jury indictment returned on Nov. 17, 2003. Also charged in the indictment were Dr. Lisa Tsilionis, her former husband, Dr. George Tsilionis, and Rudolph Hora.

The indictment alleged that between Feb. 9, 1996 and March 31, 1999, Love, the president and owner/operator of Love Courier Inc. and Essex Shuttle Inc., used his transportation companies to funnel patients to the Tsilionis’ chiropractic office (Allied Trauma) located in East Orange.

In so doing, the Tsilionis’ reportedly increased the number of patients and the amount of Personal Injury Protection (PIP) claims submitted to insurance companies for payment of various medical, diagnostic, and chiropractic treatments.

Based on Love directing patients to Allied Trauma, it was charged that the Tsilionis’ fraudulently billed 30 different insurance companies more than $1.2 million in PIP claims which sought payment for chiropractic services and electric diagnostic tests known as Somatosensory Evoked Potentials (SSEP) – chiropractic procedures that are frequently used to diagnose injuries in connection with automobile accidents. The insurance companies paid more than $435,000 on claims submitted by the Tsilionis’ and Allied Trauma.

Love’s corporations ceased operation following the execution of search warrants by investigators assigned to the Office of the Insurance Fraud Prosecutor.

Additionally, Love’s corporate bank accounts were frozen and forfeited to the State. A lien was also filed on Love’s West Orange home. Love subsequently filed for bankruptcy.