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September 15, 2006

Update: Giordano gets 2 1/2 years for skimming nursing homes

PROVIDENCE -- A former nursing home owner was sentenced today to 2 1/12 years in prison and fined $100,000 for his role in skimming hundreds of thousands of dollars from three area nursing homes.

U.S. District Judge Mary Lisi handed down the sentence for Antonio Giordano early this afternoon, shortly after she had sentenced his former chief financial officer, John J. Montecalvo, to two years in prison.

Both had pleaded guilty to the federal felony charges in June.

The two were also ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $780,539, which they had been accused of skimming from the defunct Hillside Health Center in Providence, the former Coventry Health Center and Mount St. Francis Health Center in Woonsocket. At the time, the nursing homes were in default of their multimillion-dollar federal mortgages or operating in the red.

Giordano's lawyer said his client has the funds to pay the restitution, which should be done within a few days.

The sentences was handed down before a packed courtroom and after lawyers for Montecalvo and the prosecution spent more than an hour addressing the court.

Montecalvo's lawyer had argued for a prison sentence of six months, followed by 12 months home confinement. The prosecution sought 2 years, based on the minimum federal guidelines.

Montecalvo was not fined because he "has no abililty to pay."

Both Montecalvo and Giordano were ordered to surrender themselves on Oct. 13 at facilities to be assigned.

More to come...

-- With reports from projo.com staff writer Kate Bramson

Posted by Andrea Panciera  at 1:30 PM | Permalink

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