NEW JERSEY — A 63-year-old East Orange man has been indicted for orchestrating a $3.4 million Medicaid fraud scheme, New Jersey Attorney General Matthew J. Platkin announced.
Vicente Lopez, the head of Joyce Lopez & Associates (JLA), was indicted by a state grand jury on September 3, 2025, on charges of health care claims fraud, theft by deception, Medicaid fraud, and multiple tax violations.
According to prosecutors, Lopez allegedly continued to bill Medicaid for psychological services after taking over JLA following the 2021 death of his sister, Joyce Lopez, even though neither he nor the company were registered Medicaid providers.
Investigators say Lopez and his employees submitted over 34,000 false claims, using the identity and provider number of a licensed psychiatrist — identified in court papers as “TF” — without consent. TF reportedly never treated any JLA patients.
Fraudulent billing also allegedly included claims for:
Missed or canceled appointments
Case management services falsely labeled as therapy
In addition to Medicaid fraud, Lopez is accused of failing to pay state taxes between 2021 and 2023, owing $99,709 in back taxes, penalties, and interest.
If convicted, Lopez faces up to 10 years in state prison and fines of $150,000 for second-degree charges.
The case is being prosecuted by the Office of the Insurance Fraud Prosecutor – Medicaid Fraud Control Unit, led by Deputy Attorneys General Laura L. Bryant and Simret Michael, under the supervision of Assistant Bureau Chief Michael Klein and Bureau Chief Heather Hadley.
The investigation was conducted by Sergeant Michael Rosati, under Lieutenant Joseph Jaruszewski and Deputy Chief Rich King, with assistance from the New Jersey Division of Taxation’s Office of Criminal Investigations.
Lopez remains presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
