Six Maine Residents Arrested in Health Care Fraud Conspiracy: Over $600,000 in MaineCare Claims for One Client Alleged
Six Maine residents were arrested after a federal grand jury indicted them for health care fraud conspiracy, the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Maine announced. Community Home Health Care LLC, a licensed personal care agency headquartered in South Portland, allegedly submitted false Electronic Visit Verifications to MaineCare and, since 2020, billed more than $600,000 for personal care services for a single client, identified in the indictment as Client 1.
As alleged in the indictment, Noora Abd, also known as Um Mohammed, 37, Faysal Kalayaf Manahe, also known as Abu Aziz, 51, Adel Al Rashid, also known as Abu Ayman, 47, Sura Almohammed, also known as Um Ayman, 47, Ether Alyaseen, 46, Mohammed Alkhalaf, also known as Abu Stayf, 41, and Community Home Health Care LLC are charged with health care fraud conspiracy. Noora Abd and Faysal Kalayaf Manahe are also charged with obstructing a health care fraud investigation, and Mohammed Alkhalaf is charged with making false statements.
According to the indictment, Noora Abd owned and operated Community, and the other defendants were employed by Community as personal support specialists and in other capacities. Community, through Noora Abd, billed and was paid by MaineCare for personal care services. The indictment alleges the defendants submitted false Electronic Visit Verifications claiming to have performed personal care services for clients when those services had not been performed.
U.S. Attorney Andrew B. Benson said health care fraud in all its forms costs everyone, and that the arrests should make clear that those who steal from the health care system for financial gain will be shut down and brought to justice. Ted E. Docks, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI's Boston Division, said the six allegedly netted hundreds of thousands of dollars in fraudulent claims for services not provided, and that two are accused of trying to obstruct the investigation.
If convicted of health care fraud conspiracy, the defendants face up to 10 years in prison, a fine of $250,000 or twice the total loss due to fraudulent claims, and up to three years of supervised release. Obstructing a health care fraud investigation and making false statements each carry up to five years in prison. The FBI, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General, Homeland Security Investigations, and IRS Criminal Investigation investigated the case, with assistance from Maine's Medicaid Fraud Control Unit. An indictment is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Source: GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 图：缅因州 Portland 老港区 Commercial Street 街景，本案涉案机构 Community Home Health Care LLC 位于邻近的 South Portland。照片：Dirk Ingo Franke，CC BY-SA，经 Wikimedia Commons。 / The Old Port district of Portland, Maine, near South Portland, where Community Home Health Care LLC is based. Photo: Dirk Ingo Franke, CC BY-SA, via Wikimedia Commons.
