Medford Woman Sentenced for Social Security, Medicare, MassHealth, and Food Stamp Fraud
On February 26, 2019, a Medford woman received a sentence of one year in jail and was ordered to pay full restitution, totaling $108,288.11, in US District Court in Boston after pleading guilty to stealing over $100,000 through various larceny schemes defrauding state agencies of benefits. The defendant previously pled guilty to three counts of theft of public funds, two counts of making false statements, and one count of falsely representing a Social Security number.
A BSI senior fraud examiner’s investigation revealed that from October 2007 through May 2017, the defendant stole $73,288 in Social Security benefits, $8,455 in Medicare benefits, $8,615 in MassHealth benefits, and $17,929 in SNAP benefits (food stamps). BSI collaborated with the US Office of Inspector General over the course of its investigation; the US Attorney’s Office Major Crimes Unit prosecuted the case.
Quincy Man Pleads Guilty, Sentenced for Submitting False Timesheets
On March 14, 2019, a Quincy man pled guilty in Quincy District Court for his scheme to defraud MassHealth. The man, who was a MassHealth member, submitted false timesheets claiming that an individual was providing personal care attendant (PCA) services for him, even though his former PCA had stopped working for him in 2015. He pled guilty to one count of larceny over $250.
After his plea, the defendant received a sentence of 18 months of probation.
BSI Staff Training
On February 6, 2019, BSI’s legal counsel gave a presentation to BSI staff members on what to expect when going to court. The presentation covered a wide array of topics, including the types of courts throughout Massachusetts, the various District Attorneys’ Offices by county, places to know in the courthouse, and best practices for attending court. The PowerPoint presentation will serve as a lasting resource for court-related information, because it contains links to various relevant court-related websites.
The presentation is part of an ongoing series to promote staff education, development, and training. Moreover, these presentations equip BSI’s staff with the tools and information to work smarter and more efficiently in safeguarding the Commonwealth’s public assistance benefit programs.
| Date published: | June 25, 2019 |
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