Steven Herder also must repay $140,000 to his insurance company.
TRENTON -- The father of twin boys in Camden County was sentenced to three years in prison for fabricating medical records and forging doctors' signatures and fraudulently billing for $140,000 in hospital bills, Attorney General Christopher Porrino announced Monday.
Steven Herder was sentenced Monday to three years in state prison for insurance fraud, Attorney General Christopher Porrino announced. (Photo courtesy of NJ Attorney General) Steven Herder, 41, of Lindenwold also must repay the $140,000 his insurance company American Family Life Assurance Company paid him, under the sentence handed down by Superior Court Judge John T. Kelly in Camden County on Friday.
Herder pleaded guilty to insurance fraud for filing five false claims from June 2012 to November 2014 to Aflac.
Herder billed the insurance company for lengthy stays for his children never had at Virtua Hospital in Voorhees, ranging from 11 weeks to 26 weeks, the announcement said.
Herder's attorney John K Conner said his client apologized to his family and the insurance company, and brought $5,000 with him to show he intends to repay what he owes.
N.J. man used his twin sons as pawns in fraud scheme, state says
Herder also explained the turmoil in his life at the time: his twin sons were born premature, his wife got sick and his house fell into foreclosure, Conner said.
"He explained to the judge why he did what he did, although he was not try to diminish responsibility for it," Conner said.
"The jail time imposed upon this defendant is a fitting punishment for the kind of brazen insurance fraud he committed," Acting Insurance Fraud Prosecutor Christopher Iu said. "Such fraud drives up insurance costs for everyone and will not be tolerated."
Susan K. Livio may be reached at slivio@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @SusanKLivio. Find NJ.com Politics on Facebook.