Woman Gets 15 Months for Healthcare Fraud

Misty Maciejewski, 36, of Northfield, was sentenced to 15 months in in federal prison after pleading guilty in June 2015 to falsely obtaining health care benefits from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Health Administration (VHA), announced Acting U.S Attorney Donald Feith on Oct. 13, 2015.

Maciejewski was also sentenced to three years of supervised release that will begin when she is released from prison. During the period of supervised release, Maciejewski’s activities will be supervised by the United States Probation and Pretrial Services Office.

In an application for health care benefits that Maciejewski submitted to the VHA on Oct. 3, 2012, Maciejewski falsely claimed to be a veteran of the U.S. Army and that she was honorably discharged after serving in combat. The application was mistakenly approved by the VHA due to an administrative error. After the application was approved, Maciejewski received VHA medical benefits totaling $29,442.13. The benefits were paid to a half-way house in Boston, MA, to non-VA medical providers in Massachusetts and New Hampshire, and applied to medical services Maciejewski received from VA hospitals in Boston and Manchester. Maciejewski was also order to repay $29,442.13 to the VHA.

“More than 8.7 million honorably discharged veterans receive medical benefits for their service related injuries and illnesses at VA and non-VA medical facilities,” stated Acting United States Attorney Donald Feith. “Those who would engage in fraud and illegally obtain benefits cause harm to the entire program and cause injury to those true veterans who deserved our support. Our office will work with law enforcement to protect the integrity of these benefit programs and bring to justice those who scheme to defraud those programs.”

The case was investigated by the Department of Veterans Affairs, Criminal Investigation Division and prosecuted by AUSA Robert M. Kinsella.