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Williamsport Attorney Charged With Welfare Fraud

Williamsport Attorney Charged With Welfare Fraud - Monday, April 5, 2010 at 04:04AM EST

Reported by: Jeremy Deebel
Monday April 05 2010
WILLIAMSPORT, LYCOMING COUNTY -- A prominent Williamsport lawyer and former candidate for county judge is now facing welfare fraud charges.

Police say Joseph Orso III filed fraudulent medical assistance claims on behalf of his aunt in June of 2008.

According to court papers, Orso under-reported his aunt's wealth and assets to reduce the cost of her admission to the Valley ViewNursing Center.

He allegedly listed only one of her three bank accounts and failed to disclose recent property transfers and other investments. Those claims netted more than $3,000 in undeserved welfare benefits.

Orso is a Williamsport lawyer who ran for a county judge seat last May. Investigators say Orso had power-of-attorney when he falsified the Medicaid documents he filed at the Lycoming County Assistance Office.

Williamsport Police Agent Ronald Bachman said, "In this case, power-of-attorney meant he could move money around in her name. He could pay bills. He could write checks from her account, in her best interest. And that's the key phrase here. It has to be in her best interest."

Investigators say Orso also charged his aunt a total of about $9,000 for serving as her power-of-attorney.

Joseph Orso is free on $5,000 bail. We were unsuccessful in our attempts to contact him both at his home in Williamsport Monday morning, and at the law office where he works on Monday afternoon. Orso will be back in court later this month.

 


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