Published: 2011-09-11 15:01:50
Author: Andrew Scott | Pocono Record Writer | September 9, 2011
The Giacalone family is suing insurance fraud investigators, saying they meant to drive the family out of business by raiding the Giacalones' chiropractic and fitness offices in Canadensis and Pocono Summit.
Dr. Joseph Giacalone owns Giacalone Healthcare Inc. in Pocono Summit while his daughter, Dr. Maria Giacalone, owns Canadensis Healthcare Inc.
The Northeast Pennsylvania Insurance Fraud Task Force, under the Lackawanna County District Attorney's Office, raided both offices in January after a five-year investigation into what the task force said could amount to several million dollars worth of fraud. The Giacalones have not been charged with anything as of this week.
Task Force Director Myles Walsh said the probe began after someone contacted the task force about inconsistencies in the Giacalones' insurance billing statements. Walsh said these inconsistencies are too many to be coincidental.
In their federal lawsuit filed in Scranton, the Giacalones claim the task force, Walsh, task force Detective Thomas Pavlick and the Pennsylvania Insurance Fraud Prevention Authority had no probable cause for the warrant to take electronic and paper records and other items from the family businesses.