Colts Neck Doctor Pleads Guilty in Lab Referral Bribe Scheme

A Monmouth County doctor with practices in Colts Neck and Staten Island admits to accepting bribes in exchange for test referrals as part of an elaborate long-running scheme with Parsipanny-based Biodiagnostic Laboratory Services. Doctor Ralph Messo of Colts Neck, pleaded guilty in Newark federal court to an information charging him with one count of accepting bribes.

According to New Jersey U.S. Attorney Paul Fishman, Messo admitted to accepting bribes in return for referring patient blood specimens to BLS and was paid approximately $3,000 per month. Fishman's office says those referrals earned BLS at least $828,000 in lab business. Messo risk up to five years and a $250,000 dollar fine when sentenced.

34-defendents have already pleaded guilty in the scheme, including 23 doctors. Fishman said organizers have admitted the bribery scheme involved millions of dollars in bribes and resulted in more than $100 million in payments to BLS from Medicare and various private insurance companies. so far the investigation has recovered more than $10.5 million to date through forfeiture.