Burlington Woman Admits to Posing as Psychologist to Steal Over $500,000 in Taxpayer Dollars: AG

BURLINGTON, MA — A Burlington woman has been sentenced to 18 months in prison and five years of probation after admitting to stealing over half a million dollars from public agencies by posing as a licensed psychologist, according to the Attorney General's office.

Nita Guzman, age 52, pleaded guilty Friday in Middlesex Superior Court to two counts of medicaid false claims, one count of false claims to public agency, four counts of larceny and two counts of unlicensed practice of psychology. She is also ordered to pay up to $570,000 in restitution, and a restitution hearing to determine the exact amount is set for Feb. 17.

Guzman and her twin sister Nina Tischer, also formerly of Burlington, were indicted in 2014. Tischer plead guilty to similar charges in February.

“Guzman stole more than half a million dollars from taxpayers and defrauded public agencies who provide important services to those in need," said Attorney General Maura Healey in a statement.

The attorney general's office says that Guzman billed Medicaid, Medicare, and Lawrence Public Schools more than $550,000 for unlicensed mental health services through her company, New England Psychological Consultants, Inc. Tischer's company PsychSupport, Inc., billed a division of UMass Medical School over $30,000 for unlicensed examination.

Tischer and Guzman provided bilingual psychological services to Medicaid and Medicare members in the greater-Lowell and greater-Lawrence areas, performed mental health disability evaluations for the Department of Transitional Assistance and the state’s Medicaid program (MassHealth), and assessed children for learning disabilities for Lawrence Public Schools, according to the Attorney General's office.

The AG's office launched an investigation into the sisters after numerous licensed psychology professionals reported the use of their names and licenses to the AG's office. Guzman also billed the Lawrence Public School system more than $60,000 of psychological evaluations of students in special education programs.

Both Guzman and Tischer lived in Minnesota at the time of their indictments. In September of 2014, Guzman was arrested by a Minnesota County Sheriff and Tischer turned herself in. Tischer was sentenced to two and a half years in prison suspended for a probationary period of five years back in February, according to the Attorney General's office.

“Guzman and her sister orchestrated a criminal scheme to provide and bill for unlicensed psychological and mental health services for patients, including children, that they were not qualified to offer,” said Attorney General Maura Healey in a statement.

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