Medford Man Sentenced To Jail For Defrauding MassHealth

MEDFORD, MA — A Medford man has been found guilty and sentenced to one year in the Middlesex House of Correction for his role in a scheme to falsely submit claims to MassHealth for Personal Care Attendant (PCA) services that were not provided, Attorney General Maura Healey said in a news release.

On Monday, after a three-day trial, Abdikadir Maow, 50, was found guilty of Medicaid False Claims and Larceny by False Pretenses over $1200, said Healey.

Middlesex Superior Court Judge Christopher Barry-Smith sentenced Maow on Tuesday to one year in the Middlesex House of Correction followed by three years of probation and ordered him to pay $112,000 in restitution.

While on probation, Maow will be prohibited from having any role or responsibilities with the PCA program and will instead be required to receive services from a home health company.

Maow was indicted in October 2020 as part of a coordinated sweep charging seven individuals in PCA fraud cases. According to Healey, from 2015 to May of 2020, Maow and his PCA participated in a scheme to falsely submit timesheets for PCA services that were not actually rendered to Maow.

Healey also claims that Maow’s PCA was billing and getting paid for PCA hours purportedly provided during times when the PCA was working at a secondary employer or while the PCA or Maow were traveling or residing out of the country separately for long periods of time.

During Maow’s trial, Healey’s Office presented evidence that Maow caused more than $112,000 in fraudulent billing to MassHealth.

The conclusion of Maow's trial follows years of efforts by AG Healey’s Medicaid Fraud Division to combat fraud and misconduct in the PCA program.

In March, the AG’s Office secured indictments against four people in another PCA false billing scheme, and in July 2021, the Division indicted a New Bedford man who allegedly defrauded the program by falsely billing for services he did not receive.