Anchorage’s former health director is being sued by the state of Alaska for more than $60,000, claiming that he fraudulently claimed a higher rank in military service when he joined Alaska State Defense Force.
Joe Gerace, former Anchorage Health Director, has been charged with fraudulent misrepresentation. Gerace was the subject of much controversy after he resigned from his position as Anchorage’s Health Director last August, shortly before an Alaska Public Media/American Public Media report revealed that he had lied about his background including his military and medical credentials.
Gerace was a member of the Alaska State Defense Force from 2020 to 2021. This volunteer organization is part of the official state militia. A lawyer representing the state Department of Military and Veterans Affairs stated that Gerace claimed to have been a lieutenant colonel with the U.S. Army in a civil lawsuit filed last month.
ASDF members receive rankings and payments based on their rank in one country’s military branches. Gerace claimed the rank of lieutenant colonel in his ASDF service, which resulted him being paid $94,783.69 from the state. Records show that Gerace actually only earned the rank E-4, which is a lower specialist ranking. According to the attorney representing the state, Gerace should have been paid $33,207.60 for that rank in ASDF.
Gerace, reached by telephone Thursday afternoon, said that he and his lawyer had not yet seen the complaint.
Gerace is being asked by the state to pay $61,576.09 for the difference between what he earned and what he actually did.
Anchorage officials are also investigating Gerace. Anchorage Assembly summoned Niki Tshibaka, city Human Resources director, to testify this week about his involvement in Gerace’s hiring, vetting, and investigation. The city’s Internal Auditing Department will also be looking into contracts approved by Gerace during his tenure as Health Director.
This is an ongoing story.
