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Albuquerque Man Must Pay 23K For Fake Claims To VAMC

An Albuquerque man has been sentenced to three years of probation and ordered to pay more than $23,000 in restitution for submitting fraudulent claims to the Veterans Affairs Medical Center.

Prosecutors say 43-year-old Rick J. Serrano was sentenced Tuesday in federal court.

He was indicted in April 2013 for submitting 146 fraudulent claims to the VAMC for travel beneficiary payments from September 2010 through October 2012.

Serrano pleaded guilty last November.

He periodically traveled to the VAMC in Bernalillo County to obtain authorized medical treatment but falsely claimed he travelled from Roswell to do so.

Serrano admitted his claims for travel cost reimbursement were false claims because they exceeded the costs for which he was entitled.

Prosecutors say Serrano must repay $23,399.

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