Chryssi Camerlengo: Radiology office manager sentenced over Medicare scam

A former radiology office manager who filed fake Medicare claims over a three-year period to pay off debts and “help” others says it was the “stupidest thing” she’s done.

A former radiology office manager broke down into tears after admitting she made false Medicare claims to pay off debts and help “needy” people.

Chryssi Camerlengo faced Sunshine Magistrates’ Court on Thursday to say she was “definitely guilty” to five charges of obtaining financial advantage by deception.

“I want to pay it all back so I can move on with my life,” she said through tears. “This was the stupidest thing I’ve ever done.”

The court heard Camerlengo, who worked at a Keilor East radiologist for seven years, had made a number of false Medicare claims between April 2013 and April 2016 totalling $16,913.

She told the court part of the money was used to pay off personal debts and help get her out of unsafe housing and the rest went to help three other unidentified people.

“They were people that were in need,” she said. “I realise now I was misled, I thought I was helping people.”

The fraud was identified by the Department of Health in 2018 and Camerlengo was interviewed in 2019 before charges were laid last year.

Commonwealth prosecutor Emily McDonald said Camerlengo had been upfront and made “significant admissions” during the interview, but could not explain why it had taken two years to lay charges.

Camerlengo was fined $1200 without conviction and ordered to repay $15,467 to the Department of Health.