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Healthcare Employee Cheated MassHealth With Sex Crimes, Fake Claims: AG

A Plymouth resident is accused of cheating the state's Medicaid program out of hundreds of thousands of dollars through sex-related crimes and fraudulent claims, officials said. 

Nurse in uniform and badge on street

Nurse in uniform and badge on street

Photo Credit: Laura James on Pexels

Eric Melendez, age 43, was indicted for collecting large sums of money from MassHealth on Monday, Dec. 5, Attorney General Maura Healy's Office reports. 

The office alleges that Melendez employed multiple people as Personal Care Attendants (PCAs) and submitted timesheets with hours and tasks the attendants never worked. 

One of Melendez's accomplices, Angelica Pierni, 32, also of Plymouth, was also indicted for charges related to assisting Melendez in his scheme. 

The fraudulent plot allegedly resulted in MassHealth paying nearly $200,000 for services that were not provided, Healy reports. 

On top of this, Melendez was indicted for multiple incidents of alleged inappropriate sexual conduct, Healy reports. 

These included attempted groping, offering extra money for PCAs to engage in sexual favors, and tricking a PCA into watching a video of Melendez having sex with another person.

Melendez and Pierni will be arraigned in Plymouth Superior Court at a date not yet determined.

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