Massachusetts Attorney General's Office issued the following announcement on Aug. 20.
Defendants Indicted for More than $40,000 in False Personal Care Attendant Claims
Three people were indicted in connection with a scheme to fraudulently bill the state’s Medicaid Program (MassHealth) for personal care attendant (PCA) services that were not provided, Attorney General Maura Healey announced.
Kerry Quinn, age 25, of Fall River, Mark Ferreira, age 31, of New Bedford, and Kariann Tomer, age 23, of Mashpee, were indicted by a Bristol County Grand Jury on charges of Medicaid False Claims (1 count) and Larceny over $1,200 (2 counts). All three individuals will be arraigned in Bristol Superior Court on Monday, September 27.
The AG’s Office alleges that between March 2017 and May 2018, Quinn, who MassHealth has recognized as eligible for the PCA Program, knowingly submitted false claims to MassHealth for services in excess of $40,000. PCAs are paid by MassHealth to help provide basic health services and assist disabled beneficiaries with activities of daily living. Quinn named Ferreira, and later Tomer, as her PCA at different points while using this program.
The AG’s office alleges that neither Tomer nor Ferreira provided PCA services, nor could have, as the PCA timesheets submitted by Quinn directly conflicted with the timesheets and schedules of Tomer’s and Ferriera’s other full-time jobs. The AG’s office further alleges that Quinn claimed PCA benefits while traveling abroad.
Quinn allegedly informed MassHealth that both Tomer’s and Ferreira’s addresses were the same as her own – in order to have debit cards loaded with payment meant for PCA services sent directly to her. Quinn then allegedly received the money intended for her PCAs and unlawfully kept most of the received money for herself, in agreement with Tomer and Ferreira. Surveillance video from ATM transactions shows Quinn and her husband using one of the PCA debit cards to withdraw money.
All of these charges are allegations and defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty.
The matter was investigated by Assistant Attorney General Ali Russo and Investigator Aleksandra Andriyevskaya of the AG’s Medicaid Fraud Division. MassHealth, the Massachusetts Department of Corrections, the Office of the Inspector General, Tempus Unlimited, Inc., and Coastline Elderly Services, Inc. assisted in the investigation.
Original source can be found here.