A Central Jersey Chiropractor has pleaded guilty to fraudulently obtaining more than $650,000 dollars, by illegally using “runners” to recruit victims of motor vehicle accidents.

Scott Greenberg (Photo: NJ Attorney General)
Scott Greenberg (Photo: NJ Attorney General)
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Fifty-three-year-old Scott Greenberg of Somerset County has also admitted he was growing marijuana plants.

State Attorney General Jeff Chiesa says “by paying ‘runners’ to recruit patients to his chiropractic businesses, this defendant greedily chose to care more about his bottom line than he did about motor vehicle accident victims, as reflected in today’s guilty plea, such behavior will be prosecuted by my office to the fullest extent of the law.”

Acting Insurance Fraud Prosecutor Ronald Chillemi points out New Jersey law includes an “anti-running statute,” which imposes criminal penalties for acting  as a runner or using, directing, or employing a runner.

What's a runner?

The statute defines a runner as a person who attempts to procure a patient or client at the direction of and for a health care professional or attorney in exchange for a pecuniary benefit, when the health care professional or attorney intends to assert a claim against an insured person or an insurance carrier for providing services to the patient or client.

Greenberg, who owns the Central Jersey Chiropractic and Rehabilitation Centres, which has locations in Central and North Jersey, admitted in court he paid money to “runners” for recruit motor vehicle accident patients to his chiropractic businesses.

An investigation by the Office of the Insurance Fraud Prosecutor determined that Greenberg paid the runners about $100,000 for the solicitation and referral of approximately 164 patients. Greenberg further admitted that, during that same time period, he illegally obtained a total $655,000 in reimbursement from various insurance companies as result of the illegal “running” scheme.

Under a plea agreement, the state will recommend that Greenberg be sentenced to eight years in state prison when he's sentenced in March.

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