Greenwich Police Officer Charged In Medicaid Scam: DCJ

GREENWICH, CT — A Shelton man is charged with billing Medicaid for work as a personal care assistant he never performed, including time he claimed to have put in while he was actually working as a Greenwich police officer, according to a statement from the Connecticut Division of Criminal Justice.

Michael Mastronardi, 45, of Shelton, was arrested Wednesday by inspectors from the Medicaid Fraud Control Unit in the Office of the Chief State's Attorney. He is charged with first-degree larceny by defrauding a public community, conspiracy to commit first-degree larceny by defrauding a public community, health insurance fraud and conspiracy to commit health insurance fraud, officials said in a statement.

According to an arrest warrant affidavit, the accused was an enrolled provider in the Personal Care Assistance (PCA) program, a federal and state-funded Medicaid program that allows eligible participants to hire others to assist with their daily care.

The warrant states that between August 2014 and April 2019, the accused billed Medicaid and was paid for PCA services that he did not provide, including time when he was working as a Greenwich police officer. He was paid about $57,278 for false claims, officials said.

Mastronardi was released on a $100,000 non-surety bond and is scheduled to appear in court on Aug. 21. Officials said additional arrests are expected.

Lieutenant John Slusarz of the Greenwich Police Department said in an email Friday that Mastronardi was placed on paid administrative leave earlier in the week after the department was notified by the Office of the Chief State's Attorney of the ongoing investigation.

"Mastronardi, who is an eighteen-year veteran of the Greenwich Police Department, is facing charges of larceny and health insurance fraud. The charges are not related to his work as a police officer or with the town of Greenwich," Slusarz said in an email. "The Police Administration recognizes that the officer is entitled to all established due process rights afforded him and, while ensuring the community's continued public trust in the department, will reserve judgment until such time that a through Internal Affairs investigation has been completed."

Mastronardi was selected as Officer of the Month in 2011 for arresting two New York men accused of scamming senior citizens in town, according to the Greenwich Time.

First-degree larceny by defrauding a public community is a class B felony punishable by up to 20 years in prison, while health insurance fraud is an unclassified felony punishable by up to five years in prison, officials said.

The state Department of Social Services Office of Quality Assurance and the Rocky Hill Police Department assisted in the investigation.