CAMDEN, N.J. (AP) - A New Jersey man who sent thousands of fraudulent billing invoices to hospitals, clinics and doctor’s offices throughout the country has pleaded guilty to mail fraud.
Robert S. Armstrong, 49, of Turnersville, defrauded his victims out of more than $200,000, federal prosecutors said.
Armstrong entered his plea Tuesday and now faces up to 20 years in prison when he’s sentenced May 7. And since he was convicted in 2015 of running a similar scheme that targeted schools, he could receive an additional two-year prison term for violating his probation on those charges.
Operating under the company name of Pinnacle Medical Supplies, Armstrong sent out invoices that billed hospitals, clinics and doctors’ offices for medical supplies such as diabetic test strips and sanitizing wipes that they never ordered nor received.
Armstrong also contracted with a legitimate bulk mailing company to mail more than 10,000 invoices to medical providers across the United States. Each invoice included a payment envelope preaddressed to Pinnacle Medical Supply at mail boxes Armstrong had set up with commercial mail receiving agents in Florida and Texas.
At least 943 medical providers sent $214,495 overall to Pinnacle Medical Supply, prosecutors saiad. Armstrong deposited many of the checks into a bank account he opened in the company’s name.
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