AG’s Office Secures Guilty Plea, Restitution From New Bedford Clinical Lab For MassHealth Fraud And Kickback Schemes

BOSTON — The Attorney General’s Office (AGO) today announced that Optimum Labs, Inc. (Optimum Labs), a New Bedford based clinical laboratory, and its owner, William Owens (Owens) of New Bedford, have pleaded guilty and admitted to sufficient facts on charges related to two separate MassHealth fraud and kickback schemes. The charges are based on the submission of false claims for sober home urine drug tests that were not payable by MassHealth, including tests that were medically unnecessary, not performed or properly authorized, and/or resulted from illegal kickback arrangements. According to the AGO, the fraudulent schemes resulted in over $4.7 million in false claims to MassHealth.

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