THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT 

              Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.



DATE: Sunday, November 19, 1995              TAG: 9511190164

SECTION: LOCAL                    PAGE: B4   EDITION: FINAL 

SOURCE: BY MARC DAVIS, STAFF WRITER 

                                             LENGTH: Short :   47 lines

PLAN'S VICTIMS LOST TWICE - FIRST BY BECOMING SICK

Hundreds of patients, mainly in New York and New Jersey, were left with at least $665,000 in unpaid medical bills because of Ed Zinner's scam. He now owes them restitution.

One victim was Joseph Marinelli, 32, a restaurant worker from Long Island, N.Y.

Marinelli was diagnosed with testicular cancer in November 1993. He underwent surgery and radiation treatments. His medical bills tallied about $60,000 and he was out of work for four months.

At first Zinner's American Fidelity Trust paid some bills, although only a fraction of what was owed, said Marinelli's wife, Janice.

Then the plan stopped paying and stopped answering the Marinellis' letters and calls.

``I begged and borrowed from relatives to put food on the table for our kids,'' said Janice Marinelli, who now works part time as a waitress. She and her husband have two children and a house in Stony Brook, N.Y.

The couple was stuck with about $20,000 in unpaid medical bils. As a result of his guilty plea, Zinner must pay the Marinellis restitution of $11,519. They have no idea if or when they will see the money.

Prosecutors say other victims, none in Virginia, are entitled to even more restitution. Among them:

$100,535 to a New York man for triple-bypass surgery in 1994.

$53,671 to a New York woman for an abdominal hernia and premature childbirth in 1994.

$30,365 to a New York couple for the premature birth of twins in 1994.

$28,427 to a Florida couple for their 3-year-old daughter who had a respiratory infection and died in 1994.

``I just hope some of those people get paid,'' Janice Marinelli said.

She is not impressed by Zinner's sentence of 68 months in prison and $485,000 in restitution. ``It's not enough. He played with people's health. More or less, he played God,'' she said. ``I want to know where he got the nerve to do this.''

KEYWORDS: INSURANCE FRAUD ARREST TRIAL

SENTENCING by CNB