MA Couple Used Homeless People To Scam MassHealth: AG

CHELMSFORD, MA — Two Chelmsford residents pleaded guilty and were sentenced Thursday over a MassHealth scam that preyed on homeless people, according to the state Attorney General.

John Wachira, 56, and Joanne Wachira, 64, pleaded guilty Thursday in Middlesex Superior Court to three counts of filing false Medicaid claims and one count of accepting Medicaid kickbacks. They were then sentenced to 10 months of home confinement and a $100,000 fine.

According to Attorney General Andrea Campbell, the couple offered free housing to homeless people if they agreed to receive services from the couple's home healthcare company, Petra Health Care. The couple used 10 homeless people to perpetuate the scam between 2015 and 2017.

"The AG’s office alleges that the individuals were required to sign false timesheets indicating that services like bathing, assistance getting dressed, and medication reminders, were being provided by Petra Health Care, or risk being removed from the house, even though many of the services had not been provided. The Wachiras and Petra Health Care then falsely billed MassHealth for such services," Campbell said in a news release.

The Medicaid fraud case is the second brought by the state against the couple. In 2018, they paid a $217,000 fine for failing to pay employees for overtime and travel time.