Somersworth woman gets eight weekends in jail in mileage reimbursement case

SOMERSWORTH - A Somersworth woman has been convicted and sentenced on a class A felony charge of Theft by Deception.

The Merrimack County Superior Court sentenced Tabitha Maguire, 49, to 12 months for stealing $8,667 by submitting fraudulent mileage reimbursement request forms for non-emergency medical transportation as part of New Hampshire Medicaid's Family and Friends Mileage Reimbursement Program.

Maguire deceptively obtained the reimbursement payments by claiming that she resided in Wakefield and was traveling almost daily to a medical facility in Somersworth, when in fact she resided in Somersworth within two miles of the facility, according to a Friday press release.

The court sentenced Maguire to serve 12 months at the Merrimack County House of Corrections with all but eight consecutive weekends of the sentence suspended for a period of five years.

The remainder of the sentence is suspended on the condition that Maguire remain of good behavior and not participate in the Family and Friends Mileage Reimbursement Program. Additionally, the court ordered Ms. Maguire to pay restitution of $8,667 to the New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services.

The Medicaid Fraud Control Unit investigates and prosecutes fraud by healthcare providers who treat Medicaid beneficiaries. Healthcare providers include, but are not limited to, hospitals, nursing homes, doctors, dentists, pharmacies, ambulance companies, and anyone else who is paid for providing healthcare services to Medicaid beneficiaries. If you would like to report a case of provider fraud, please contact the Medicaid Fraud Control Unit at (603) 271-1246.