Troy Man Sentenced for Health Care Fraud

ALBANY, NEW YORK – John VonFricken, age 51, of Troy, New York, was sentenced today to 3 years of probation and 3 months of weekend incarceration at the Rensselaer County Jail for defrauding a union health plan of $54,000, announced United States Attorney Richard S. Hartunian. 

The sentence was issued by U.S. District Judge Mae A. D’Agostino and followed the defendant’s guilty plea, on February 3, 2016, to obtaining false receipts for orthodontic services and submitting them to his union’s health care plan. 

As part of his sentence, John VonFricken must also complete 50 hours of community service and pay back the $54,600 that he fraudulently obtained from the Health and Welfare Plan of the Plumbers and Steamfitters, Local Union Number 7. 

John VonFricken’s brother, Michael, also of Troy, is scheduled to be sentenced on July 18 for defrauding the same union health plan.  He also pled guilty in February to fraud, and to obtaining $32,732 in reimbursements for orthodontic work that he did not receive. 

This case was investigated by the United States Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General, Office of Labor Racketeering and Fraud Investigations, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Solomon B. Shinerock.