Rocky Hill Man Pleads Not Guilty in Medicaid Fraud Case

A Rocky Hill man accused of scheming with a convicted physician to obtain prescription drugs paid for through Medicaid has pleaded not guilty to the criminal charges.

Massimo Greca, 35, a resident of Countryside Drive, entered not guilty pleas in New Britain Superior Court to a conspiracy to commit the sale of a controlled substance, a conspiracy to obtain a controlled substance and a conspiracy to issue a false prescription, according to online state records.

Greca was one of four people arrested in a Medicaid fraud case stemming from a lengthy investigating into illicit drug activity involving former physician Richard Luzietti. 

Police said Luzietti, who was convicted in 2012, conspired with the four suspects writing them prescriptions for controlled substances. The prescriptions were filled by the recipients at Medicaid expense and then sold to another supsect, Cyril Pham, who along with Luzietti allegedly sold them illegally on the street.

Pham has since been arrested and the other suspects — Hartford resident Eric Jiminez, East Hartford resident Amanda Lucey and Manchester man John Rosado — still have cases pending in court.

All four were arrested by Inspectors from the Medicaid Fraud Control Unit in the Office of the Chief State's Attorney and charged with Conspiracy To Unlawfully Obtain A Controlled Substance and Conspiracy To Make A False Prescription, unclassified felonies each punishable by up to five years in prison on each count, and Conspiracy To Distribute A Controlled Substance, an unclassified felony punishable by up to seven years in prison.

The charges are merely accusations and they are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

According to the arrest warrant affidavits, Jiminez, Greca, Lucey and Rosado participated in a scheme in which Luzietti, whom they had never met, wrote them prescriptions for controlled substances. The prescriptions were filled by the recipients at Medicaid expense and then sold to Cyril Pham, who along with Luzietti allegedly sold them illegally on the street.

Luzietti was convicted last August. Pham was arrested on May 2, 2013.

All four arrested this week were released on $500 non-surety bonds. Jiminez and Greca and will appear in New Britain Superior Court at G.A. No. 15, on June 5, 2013. Lucey will appear in Hartford Superior Court at G.A. No. 14, on June 6, 2013. Rosado will appear in New Britain Superior Court at G.A. No. 15, on June 6, 2013.