Daily News (New York)

November 27, 2002, Wednesday

IT’S THE CLINK FOR KID SHRINK

BYLINE: BY BARBARA ROSS

SECTION: NEWS; Pg. 24

LENGTH: 197 words

A Brooklyn psychiatrist whose company was once a major provider of therapy services to preschoolers was sentenced to up to 7 1/2 years in prison yesterday for overbilling the city by $1.2 million.
Jack Retkinsky, 55, also was ordered to repay about half the stolen money.
Retkinsky was executive director of the Retberg Child Center, a leading provider of speech, physical and other therapy services for city kids.
Until it went out of business in 1999, Retberg had 250 employees and a large roster of independent therapists.
Prosecutors said the company would bill the city for phantom therapy sessions.
Retkinsky pleaded guilty to grand larceny, conspiracy and forgery.
In addition to serving 2 1/2 to 7 1/2 years in prison, he has to repay roughly half the $1.2 million stolen from the city, Manhattan Supreme Court Justice Bernard Fried ruled.
Abraham Schwartz, the former financial officer of Retberg, pleaded guilty this year to grand larceny. He was sentenced to probation and must pay the city the other half of the money.
If he fails to pay, Retkinsky must make up the difference, a spokeswoman for the Manhattan district attorney’s office said.