The man accused of killing his wife, kids and pet dog in the Disney town of Celebration, Florida, was hauled before a judge Thursday — as it emerged that the feds had been investigating him for health care fraud.
Anthony Todt, 44, was silent at his first appearance in court Thursday, nodding as Circuit Judge Margaret Schreiber ordered him held without bail during a brief hearing that wrapped in less than a minute, the Orlando Sentinel reported.
Todt is facing four counts of first-degree murder and a felony count of animal cruelty after authorities said he confessed to killing his wife, Megan Todt, 42, along with their three children — Alek, 13, Tyler, 11, and Zoe, 4 — and family dog, Breezy.
Sheriff deputies and federal agents allegedly found Todt with the bodies in their home Monday, as they attempted to serve a warrant tied to a fraud investigation, officials said.
Authorities believe the bodies had been there for several weeks.
Meanwhile, new details of the health care fraud allegations against Todt emerged Thursday — in newly unsealed court documents filed in Hartford, Connecticut.
While operating his Family Physical Therapy practice in nearby Colchester, investigators allege Todt collected more than $130,000 from fraudulent bills he sent to private insurance firms and government-run programs, including Medicare.
Todt billed insurers for hundreds of hours of care that never took place — logging as many as five fake sessions a week for a single client, court docs allege.
Federal agents confronted Todt on Nov. 20, and after first denying the charges, he admitted he had started “adding stuff” when billing, submitting extra claims for random patients, the filings say.
He said he had gotten behind on personal loans, and when asked if he was “living above his means,” replied: “That’s the best way to put it,” the docs allege.
He told agents that he wanted to plead guilty and was instructed to have an attorney get in touch — but instead vanished, the filings say.