Federal agents on Tuesday raided the Lewiston office of a behavioral health provider that has been implicated in a tax fraud investigation.
Between 15 and 20 agents entered the Bright Future Healthier You office with warrants around 9 a.m. Tuesday, according to a person who works in the building and asked to remain anonymous.
The witness said many of the agents were wearing vests emblazoned with the letters HSI, the acronym for Homeland Security Investigations.
A Department of Homeland Security spokesperson did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Several people associated with the company are under investigation for allegedly defrauding the IRS through false tax returns for interpreter services.
One of those defendants, Rakiya Mohamed, pleaded guilty last week to filing a false tax return and interfering with the administration of federal tax laws.
According to the Bangor Daily News, Bright Future was the largest MaineCare biller for interpretation services over the last ten years.
In December, the state suspended MaineCare payments to another provider, Gateway Community Services, in part over suspected interpreter fraud. MaineCare is the state’s Medicaid program.
This story appears through a media partnership with Maine Public.