Woman Pleads Guilty In Tewksbury Medicaid Fraud Case

TEWKSBURY, MA -- A Tewksbury woman who continued to submit timesheets for Medicaid reimbursement after the woman she was caring for died pleaded guilty Thursday to one count of Medicaid false claims and one count of larceny over $250. Judge Maureen Hogan ordered Dawna DeMarco, 33, to repay $12,360 and sentenced her to one year in a house of correction.

"This defendant took advantage of our MassHealth system and stole health care resources from Massachusetts taxpayers and patients," Attorney General Maura Healey said in a press release. "We will investigate those who commit this fraud and take action to ensure that it does not continue."

DeMarco was indicted in September. DeMarco was hired as a personal care aide for her aunt, who died in October 2016. According to the indictment, she submitted time sheets for hours she did not work beginning in September 2016 and continuing through April of last year, more than five months after her aunt had died.

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Dave Copeland can be reached at dave.copeland@patch.com or by calling 617-433-7851. Follow him on Twitter (@CopeWrites) and Facebook (/copewrites).