Attorney General Andrea Joy Campbell announced that the Worcester County Superior Court has returned indictments against four individuals in relation to a wide-spread personal care attendant and home health Medicaid fraud scheme in the Worcester area. The defendants allegedly billed over $500,000 to MassHealth, for home health services that were not provided, including services by personal care attendants (PCA), home health aides (HHA), or Adult Foster Care (AFC) caretakers. Felix Mercedes, of Worcester, was charged with eleven counts, including four counts of Medicaid False Claims, one count of Larceny Over $1,200, one count of Identity Fraud, two counts of Conspiracy to Commit Larceny and Medicaid Fraud, two counts of Witness Intimidation, and one count of Money Laundering. He is currently held on $25,000 cash bail and subject to a number of conditions, including not working in healthcare or with elderly or disabled individuals. Mercedes’ three co-conspirators, Elizabeth Betances Rosario, Yaneris Mercedes De Rivera, and Yenifer Barrera, all of Worcester, were indicted on two counts each of Medicaid False Claims, along with various counts of Larceny Over $1,200. Each posted $2,500 cash bail and are subject to several conditions including not working in healthcare or with the elderly or disabled community.
