Two women have been indicted in New Jersey for allegedly providing medical services without proper licenses and submitting fraudulent claims to Medicaid. The announcement was made by Acting Attorney General Jennifer Davenport, the Division of Criminal Justice (DCJ), and the Office of the Insurance Fraud Prosecutor (OIFP).
Esney Davis-Sharpe, 63, from East Orange, New Jersey, and Nataliya Lushchak, 48, from Lower Gwynedd, Pennsylvania, face charges including conspiracy to commit health care claims fraud, unlicensed practice of medicine, health care claims fraud, and Medicaid fraud.
“This case alleges a deliberate abuse of the Medicaid system and a betrayal of patient trust,” said Acting Attorney General Davenport. “Submitting claims for medical services performed by unlicensed individuals undermines the integrity of Medicaid and diverts critical resources from those who rely on the program. OIFP will continue to hold accountable those who abuse the Medicaid program and place patients at risk.”
DCJ Director Theresa L. Hilton stated: “This case shows the importance of state agencies working together to respond to reports of allegedly illegal activity and root it out. Thousands of claims were allegedly submitted to Medicaid for reimbursement to which these defendants are not entitled. Health care fraud endangers the public and wastes limited public resources.”
Acting Insurance Fraud Prosecutor Al Garcia commented: “Medicaid provides a vital health care safety net, and anyone who files fraudulent claims leads to all of us paying more to run that system. Our medical licensing regime is created to ensure that health care providers are properly educated and trained to provide needed health care services. Performing services without holding the proper licenses presents a risk to patients that we will not allow.”
According to investigators, Davis-Sharpe owned Bessie Mae Women’s Health Center in East Orange but did not have a license to practice medicine. In May 2021 she hired Lushchak as a practitioner; neither held valid New Jersey medical licenses but are alleged to have provided gynecological services at the facility.
From December 2020 through February 2024 approximately 2,500 reimbursement claims were submitted from Bessie Mae Women’s Health Center using doctors’ names without their knowledge or consent.
On January 25, 2024, state authorities issued a cease-and-desist order requiring Davis-Sharpe’s facility to stop providing all services.
Lushchak is reported as being enrolled as a medical student at Suburban Community Hospital in Norristown, Pennsylvania.
The prosecution is being handled by Deputy Attorneys General Sean O’Connor and Lauren Aranguren with oversight from Assistant Bureau Chief Michael Klein and Bureau Chief Heather Hadley. Detectives Regina Strugala and Chantel Blake led the investigation under supervision from Sgt. Laura Parisi, Lt. Joseph Jaruszewski, and Deputy Chief Rich King.
Second-degree offenses could result in five-to-ten years imprisonment with fines up to $150,000; third-degree charges carry three-to-five year sentences with fines up to $15,000.
The indictment represents accusations only; both defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court.
New Jersey’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit receives funding partly from federal grants via the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services—making up about three-quarters—and partly from state sources for its $11.6 million annual budget.
