WESTFORD – After her conviction last year, a Westford woman on Thursday was sentenced to 12 years in prison after being convicted in an over $100 million home health care scam.
As WestfordCAT reported last year, Faith Newton, 56, was found guilty of one count of conspiracy to commit health care fraud, one count health care fraud, and three counts of money laundering while she operated Arbor Homecare Services from January 2013 to January 2017.
“Faith Newton seemed to think she could execute a $100 million health care fraud scheme at the expense of American taxpayers and get away with it, but she was grossly mistaken,” said Special Agent in Charge Roberto Coviello of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General. “HHS-OIG is committed to protecting taxpayer-funded health care programs from fraud and abuse, and our message is clear: those who exploit our nation’s health care system for personal gain will be caught, and justice will be served.”
Newton and other workers used homecare services to defraud MassHealth of at least $100 million. With the $100 million theft, Newton gave herself million-dollar cash bonuses, a lavish house and a Maserati.
“Ms. Newton used the home health care agency she operated to perpetrate a massive, years-long fraud scheme that siphoned over $100 million from a program designed to support our most vulnerable residents. She used the stolen money to fund her lavish lifestyle, showing a callous disregard for those who were in dire need of care and assistance. Her actions not only defrauded taxpayers but also compromised the integrity of essential home health care services. The significant prison term imposed today reflects the seriousness of her crimes and the harm she caused to patients, providers, and the public,” said United States Attorney Leah B. Foley in a news release.
According to the release, Arbor, at the direction of Newton, would submit false claims to MassHealth for services by home healthcare aides who were not trained and certified as required by law.
Co-conspirators were instructed by Newton to create and submit falsified notes from nursing visits that did not happen while also paying kickbacks for patient referrals regardless of medical necessity.
They also entered sham employment relationships with patients’ families to provide services that were not medically necessary, billed for fake visits and flooded clinics with plans of care which pressured doctors to sign off.
After MassHealth cut off Arbor in 2017, Newton cut herself and her husband each a $2 million check from their payroll account, which were backdated to appear as Christmas bonuses.
Newton will also have three years of supervised release, pay a fine of $250,000 and a restitution of $99,734,517 following her 12 year sentence.
