CHICAGO —(ENEWSPF)–May 27, 2015. An area psychologist pled guilty today to engaging in a health care fraud scheme to defraud the Medicare program, federal law enforcement officials announced today. SHARON A. RINALDI, a licensed psychologist, was charged in a five-count indictment returned in October 2012 with defrauding Medicare by submitting thousands of false claims for providing psychotherapy services to Medicare beneficiaries residing in skilled nursing homes in the Chicago area. Rinaldi submitted false claims to Medicare seeking a total reimbursement of approximately $1.1 million and as a result of those false claims, Medicare paid Rinaldi at least $447,155 in funds to which she was not entitled. Rinaldi, 60, of Inverness, pled to one count of health care fraud before U.S. District Court Judge Robert M. Dow. Rinaldi also has agreed to forfeit of more than $100,000 that was seized from her home and a personal bank account in September 2012.
