Six people have been arrested in an alleged MaineCare fraud scheme.
Noora Abd, 37; Faysal Kalayaf Manahe, 51; Adel Al Rashid, 47; Sura Almohammed, 47; Ether Alyaseen, 46; and Mohammed Alkhalah, 41, have been charged with healthcare fraud conspiracy, while Abd and Manahe also have been charged with obstructing a healthcare fraud investigation and Alkhalaf also was charged with making a false statement, according to the U.S. attorney’s office.
The arrests were announced during a Tuesday morning press conference.
The six allegedly participated in a scheme to defraud MaineCare, the state’s Medicaid program, through Community Health Care LLC, a South Portland-based personal care agency owned and operated by Abd.
They allegedly submitted false documentation to MaineCare for services provided to Community Health Care’s clients but were never actually provided, according to the U.S. attorney’s office.
Numerous claims submitted for a single client totaled $600,000.
“Health care fraud – in all its forms – costs all of us, and today’s arrests should make it clear that if, as alleged in the indictment returned last week, you steal from our health care system for your own financial gain, you too, will be shut down and brought to justice,” U.S. Attorney Andrew B. Benson said in a statement.
Maine Attorney General Aaron Frey said that it can take years to build cases like this, requiring “sustained diligence” from investigators at the state and federal level.
“I hope today’s announcement serves as an important reminder that federal and state officials are working continuously to protect public dollars for the intended beneficiaries,” Frey said in a statement.
For months, the Trump administration has targeted Maine over failure to prevent MaineCare fraud. That was the subject of Vice President JD Vance’s May visit to Bangor International Airport.
This year the state has yanked MaineCare licenses from some providers and sanctioned others over fraud allegations. Gateway Community Services has figured centrally in the debates over the state of MaineCare. It has been the subject of fraud allegations, and late last year the Maine Department of Health and Human Services halted payments to it.
If convicted of healthcare fraud conspiracy, the defendants face up to 10 years in prison, a fine of $250,000 or twice the total loss due to fraudulent claims, and up to three years of supervised release. If convicted of obstructing a healthcare fraud investigation, the defendants face up to five years in prison, a $250,000 fine and up to three years of supervised release. If convicted of making false statements, the defendant faces up to five years in prison, a $250,000 fine and up to three years of supervised release.