Next up on our "Where Are They Now?" series is Anthony Sidey ('19). A member of Kingsmen Baseball's 2017 National Championship squad, Anthony played baseball at Cal Lutheran from 2015-19 as the infielder made quite the impact during his four-year career in the Purple and Gold. We got the chance to check up on Anthony with a Q&A to see how he's started off his professional career.
What years did you attend Cal Lutheran and what made you want to attend the university?
I attended Cal Lutheran from 2015-2019. The Criminal Justice program that Cal Lutheran offered definitely caught my eye, along with the opportunity to be an athlete at the collegiate level. Also, the chance to go somewhere where I would not know anybody was exciting to me.
What is your current job, and how did Cal Lutheran prepare you for the position?
I am currently working as a Medi-Cal Fraud Investigator for the State of California with the Department of Health Care Services (DHCS), tasked with protecting and maintaining the fiscal integrity of the Medi-Cal program throughout the state of California. I am the youngest Investigator that the DHCS has ever hired. Medi-Cal is the California Medical Assistance Program which provides medical services to low-income individuals including families, seniors, persons with disabilities and several other groups. Within the Investigations branch of DHCS I work for the Special Investigations Unit which focuses on provider fraud to the Medi-Cal system. Often time's providers of Medi-Cal services are billing for services not rendered, double billing (billing the state twice for the same service), or fraudulently billing for non-existent patients. As an investigator it is my job to investigate where fraud has been committed and determine the dollar amount that the provider has fraudulently billed the state. The cases we work go directly to the California Department of Justice for criminal prosecution.
The job is really complex and always changing. I think Cal Lutheran helped prepare me for this both as a student and as an athlete. Cal Lutheran offers some really great criminal justice and legal studies classes taught by professors that are passionate about what they do. I was really lucky to have the professors that I had. Playing college baseball has also helped me for this job. A career in law enforcement is unpredictable and fast-paced. Being a student-athlete taught me about how to adapt and overcome to difficult situations and how to make the most out of the situation that is presented to me. I enjoy the fast-paced nature of the job and having the opportunity to work in the field and travel throughout the state is super important to me.
How was your experience with the baseball team?
It's a funny story because I came to Cal Lutheran as a soccer placer. I actually had no intentions of playing baseball in college when I first picked the school. I had played both sports in high school but decided to focus on soccer in college. After my freshman season of soccer at Cal Lutheran, I tried out for the baseball team and made the JV team. By my sophomore year I chose to focus on baseball and was called up to the varsity team. That same year our team had the opportunity to win a National Championship.
I consider myself really lucky to have played for the Kingsman. When I first started at Cal Lutheran, if you would have told me that I would finish my college career on the baseball field, having won a national championship I would have told you that you were absolutely nuts. The baseball team is really a great network of guys that I have continued to stay in touch with. For me, the program is rooted in tradition and has so much history behind it. It was always an honor to put on the Purple and Gold uniform. Winning a National Championship was definitely the highlight of my career, but in all honestly, I cherish the day-to-day memories grinding with the guys just as much, if not, even more. Building those bonds is something that I will never forget. Looking back, all the early mornings, showing up for workouts and all the days on the field getting there early for extra work and leaving late were what built some of the best memories for me.
How did being a student-athlete prepare you for your professional career?
Being a student-athlete, you definitely learn a lot when it comes to balancing your schedule and finding times for the things that are important and I think this directly relates to law enforcement. Playing for the Kingsmen taught me how to laugh at myself and not take myself too seriously. I think being able to laugh at yourself definitely takes away some of the pressure in life. Playing baseball at Cal Lutheran also taught me a lot about overcoming adversity and making the most out of the situation that you're in. Becoming a starter and a leader on the baseball team was definitely a challenge that was never handed to me. I had to earn it each and every day, but in the end, it taught me a lot about work ethic and what it takes to be successful. What I have learned so far in my career in law enforcement is that you need to be motivated and have a solid work ethic if you want to be successful. I think that having these high standards for yourself inevitably translates to your respect for others in the community and how you treat people on a daily basis.
What is your favorite part about the job?
My favorite part of the job is that I feel like I am constantly put in a position to help my community. After playing sports, pretty much my whole life and having that end so suddenly I definitely felt that I needed to fill that void. I think that entering this field has definitely filled that part of my life. Working and collaborating with fellow investigators and other agencies on cases is a crucial part of the job. This teamwork setting is nothing new to me after playing sports for so long. Through my experiences in the police academy and as an Investigator, I have already met so many great people in this field and I am very excited to build on this in the future.
Describe a typical day on the job.
The first six months on the job consisted of me completing my California Peace Officer Basic Academy. Over these six months, I received training in all aspects of law enforcement from patrol techniques, pursuit driving, firearms, and hand-to-hand defensive tactics as well as tactical communication. The academy for me was definitely challenging, but also a rewarding experience. To put it simply, it was the best experience that I never want to do again. Throughout the six months I was put through many difficult situations. In order to be successful, you have to understand that you will make mistakes. By learning from where you fell short you are able to overcome that situation in the future.
Upon graduating the Police Academy, I entered phase training with my department. This is where you start to learn the specific functions and characteristics of being an Investigator. Phase training is a four-stage process as an investigator, each lasting about a month. So far, I have found my case load to be very diverse. There are many programs within the Medi-Cal program and the types of fraud being committed cost the state millions of dollars. Fraud schemes are always changing so being an Investigator means that you are always learning and adapting your skills and techniques to recognize crime and protect the Medi-Cal program from fraud.
Did you know you always wanted to enter this position or when did you know what you wanted to do?
From an early age I always knew I wanted to be in Law Enforcement. I come from a family in Law Enforcement and I always felt the calling to follow this path. My father has always been my role model so seeing him and his career in this field definitely drove me to be like him when I grew up.
As I made my way through college I got to participate in great learning opportunities and internships. I completed internships with the California Department of Justice, Bureau of Medi-Cal Fraud and Elder Abuse, as well as the Department of Health Care Services, Audits ad Investigations where I am currently employed. These internships really opened my eyes to a career in Fraud Investigations that I had never considered.
What are your long-term plans for the future?
I am currently really happy with where I ended up. I feel blessed and honored to be in a position to serve my community and to have a positive effect on people. Moving forward I think there are a number of avenues that I can explore, but as for right now, I am very happy where I am. I plan on taking every day as a new opportunity to work hard and be dedicated to my goals. I think for now I plan on handling my career the same why I did my baseball career by following the path that God lays out for me.
Be on the lookout for more alumni stories from our Kingsmen and Regals in the coming weeks.
Release by Jeff Rebello, Assistant Sports Information Director
