Prison For Old Bridge Doctor Who Ducked Paying Taxes

OLD BRIDGE TOWNSHIP, NJ — A physician who ran a cash-only medical office in Parlin, New Jersey, was sentenced Tuesday to 37 months in prison for structuring over $1.4 million of his income in order to avoid paying taxes, acting U.S. Attorney William E. Fitzpatrick announced.

Dr. Joseph A. Spinapolice, 73, DO, is a physician who operated Middlesex Healthcare Associates LLC, a medical office in Parlin. He mostly treated patients for pain. Spinapolice’s practice did not accept insurance and he received payment from his patients primarily in cash, federal investigators say.

Dr. Spinapolice admitted that from January 2013 through July 2015, he deposited a total of $1,463,974 in cash proceeds via more than 198 separate transactions, all done in an amount of less than $10,000 in order to avoid tax reporting requirements.

Dr. Spinapolice's office was located on Washington Road in Parlin. "Was not happy with my care at Dr Spinapolice but am sorry for what has happened to him and genuine patients," wrote one reviewer on his HealthGrades.com listing.

"I just found out the Doctor was closed down," wrote another. "I wonder what happens to patients with extremely painful, legitimate medical conditions. It is not our fault that this doctor was unethical and there should be an alternate, covering doctor until we are able to obtain our records and hopefully a new physician."

Spinapolice lives full time in Palm Coast, Florida. He previously pleaded guilty before a federal judge to one count of structuring financial transactions, and he was sentenced Tuesday.

In addition to the prison sentence, Judge Wolfson sentenced Spinapolice to a year of supervised release.

A number of law enforcement agencies worked on the case: The FBI, the Drug Enforcement Agency, the Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office, the Middlesex County Prosecutor’s Office and Sayreville police all investigated.

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