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CHIROPRACTOR PLEADS GUILTY TO MONEY LAUNDERING

The media and public are reminded that criminal charges are merely accusations and the defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty.  Follow the Office of the Ocean County Prosecutor online at Twitter and Facebook.  The social media links provided are for reference only.  The OCPO does not endorse any non-governmental websites, companies or applications.  For additional information visit our website at oceancountyprosecutor.org.  Please send all press inquiries to Al Della Fave 732-288-7616 (OFFICE) 732-814-7347 (CELL) and [email protected].

Ocean County Prosecutor Joseph D. Coronato today announced that Carlo Amato pled guilty to first-degree money laundering and second-degree theft by deception before the Honorable Michael T. Collins, J.S.C.  As a result of the plea, Mr. Amato will face a sentence of up to 10 years in New Jersey State Prison with a 5 year parole disqualifier on the money laundering charge, consecutive to 5 years in New Jersey State Prison on the theft charge.  Amato, the former owner of Chiropractic Care Consultants and Accident Recovery Physical Therapy in Lakewood, admitted to overbilling several insurance companies from January 2013 to December 2016.  Amato further admitted that he used trust accounts set up in the names of his minor children, to funnel the illegal proceeds to accounts in Russia where his wife and children now reside.  In total, Amato wired over $1.5 million to personal accounts overseas.

Additionally, while out on bail for the aforementioned offenses, Amato was re-arrested for defrauding the State of New Jersey and Prudential Insurance Company out of approximately $116,000 in disability benefits.  This theft occurred between November 2013 and May 2015, when Amato, while still working as a chiropractor at his Lakewood business, applied for and received disability funds for injuries that he alleged prevented him from working.

As a result of these new offenses, a search warrant was conducted on Amato’s Beachwood residence in December of 2017.  At that time, officers recovered $182,515 in cash hidden in a wall as well as various forms of fraudulent identification. Additionally, law enforcement recovered hand-written plans on how to flee the country without detection from authorities.

The guilty plea is the result of a joint investigation between the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the National Insurance Crime Bureau and the OCPO Special Investigations Unit. FBI Special Agent Christine Parr and Detective John LaRaia of the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office led the investigation.  They were assisted by Agent Katerina Huxel.

Thomas Ashley, Esq. and Alan Zegas, Esq. represented Mr. Amato.  Senior Assistant Prosecutor Jill O’Malley represented the State.  Supervising Assistant Prosecutor Martin Anton, who retired in December of 2017, had previously represented the State.

The media and public are reminded that criminal charges are merely accusations and that the defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.