Westford woman sentenced for $100 million home health care fraud scheme

A Westford woman was sentenced for charges related to a home health care fraud scheme worth at least $100 million in federal court on Wednesday, according to the Massachusetts U.S. Attorney’s Office.

After a nine-day trial in July 2024, a jury found 56-year-old Faith Newton guilty on one count of health care fraud and conspiracy to commit health care fraud and three counts of money laundering, the U.S. Attorney’s office said in a press release. She was found not guilty on one count of money laundering conspiracy.

On Wednesday, Newton was sentenced to 12 years in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, the U.S. Attorney’s office said. She was also ordered to pay a fine of $250,000 and nearly $100,000 in restitution.

• Read more: Westford woman convicted in $100 million home health care fraud scheme

From January 2013 to January 2017, Newton was a part owner and operator of Arbor Homecare Services, the U.S. Attorney’s office said. While in this position, she and others repeatedly billed for home health services that were never provided, not medically necessary and not authorized.

Through Arbor, Newton and others also paid kickbacks for patient referrals even when the patient did not need home health aid services and entered into sham employment relationships with patients’ family members to provide home health services that were not medically necessary, the U.S. Attorney’s office said.

• Read more: 2 Massachusetts women used $100 million fraudulent health care scheme to purchase 5 properties, a Maserati, invest in 40 bank accounts, authorities say

All in all, Arbor is believed to have defrauded MassHealth of at least $100 million, according to the U.S. Attorney’s office. Newton also laundered money from the scheme and used it to buy a house and a Maserati.

“Ms. Newton used the home health care agency she operated to perpetrate a massive, years-long fraud scheme that siphoned over $100 million from a program designed to support our most vulnerable residents. She used the stolen money to fund her lavish lifestyle, showing a callous disregard for those who were in dire need of care and assistance,” Massachusetts U.S. Attorney Leah Foley said in the release. “The significant prison term imposed today reflects the seriousness of her crimes and the harm she caused to patients, providers, and the public.”

• Read more: Lowell nurse Winnie Waruru pleads guilty in $100 million home health care fraud scheme

Newton was arrested and charged along with her co-defendant, Winnie Waruru, in February 2021, the U.S. Attorney’s office said. Waruru pleaded guilty to the charges in September 2022, but Newton’s first trial ended in a mistrial in July 2023.