Phoenix woman sentenced in insurance fraud case

PHOENIX - Authorities say a Phoenix woman accused of defrauding a health and life insurance company of nearly $690,000 in fake chiropractic treatments has been sentenced to prison time and probation.

Arizona Attorney General Tom Horne announced Monday that 42-year-old Esther Obrzut got a 2 1/2-year prison term for forgery followed by five years' probation for fraudulent schemes and artifices.

Obrzut also was ordered by a judge to pay more than $653,000 in restitution to Cigna Health and Life Insurance.

Prosecutors say Obrzut billed Cigna for $1.1 million for nearly 4,500 chiropractic treatments for herself, her spouse and her two minor children between May 2003 and February 2011.

Arizona Department of Insurance investigators determined that almost $685,000 was paid out by Cigna for treatments never received by Obrzut or her family.