Attorney General Andrew Cuomo's office on Wednesday said that it has distributed $90,000 to seniors across New York state who were sold overlapping home health services policies by Auburn-based insurance broker Thomas Piccirillo.

The money, voluntarily provided by Americare Home Care Services, has been delivered to dozens of victimized seniors who bought duplicative policies and filed restitution requests with the Attorney General's Office, according to a news release.

In July 2008, Cuomo obtained a court order barring Piccirillo from selling home-care policies.

Piccirillo sold overlapping policies from Americare and Homeward Bound Services of North America.

Americare, upon learning of the Attorney General's findings of fraud, agreed to provide the refunds to defrauded consumers.

Cuomo's office said that Piccirillo, of East Genesee Street, Skaneateles, used the fear of being sent to a nursing home as a tactic to sell elderly clients overlapping and unnecessary home health services policies across the state in order to obtain significant commissions - $117,000 in 2006 alone.

A state court later ordered Piccirillo to pay $500,000 in restitution, $100,000 in penalties, plus an additional $10,000 penalty to the state for targeting senior citizens.

Additionally, Piccirillo is barred from selling any home care policies unless he posts a $500,000 bond.