Massachusetts Addiction Treatment Center Owner Charged With Fraud

Patriot Ledger, The (Quincy, MA)

DEDHAM - A Quincy woman has been indicted for the fourth time in yet another case brought by the Attorney General's Office for what prosecutors say is health care fraud at her Quincy addiction treatment center.

A Norfolk County grand jury in December indicted Nicole Kasimatis, 47, on one charge of filing a false health care claim and one charge of larceny over $250 by a single scheme, according to court documents.

Arraignment in the newest case is set for Jan. 25.

In November, a grand jury indicted her on two counts of medical assistance fraud by a provider, one count of filing a false health care claim and two counts of larceny over $1,200, according to court records.

During her arraignment in that case, Judge Douglas Wilkins set her bail at $1 million with a $100,000 cash surety, according to court records..

Nov. 11, 2021: Manager of Quincy addiction treatment center charged with $500,000 in insurance fraud

According to the newest indictments from December, Kasimatis is charged with a scheme to defraud Medicare that lasted from January 2018 to February 2021.

Kasimatis owns and runs the Fortitude Counseling and Recovery Center for addiction treatment in Quincy. Prosecutors previously said in court documents that she filed false claims with public and private health insurers.

She was indicted in 2015 and 2018 in two other cases on charges including public assistance fraud, larceny, document forgery and uttering a false money order.

Judge Beverly Cannone sentenced Kasimatis in November 2020 to five years' probation and 36 days in jail, which she spent behind bars before posting bond. She was ordered to pay $103,000 in restitution.

In that case, prosecutors said Kasimatis under-reported her income as a licensed social worker and lied about her employment to fraudulently collect benefits from the state Department of Transitional Assistance, MassHealth, the federal Social Security Administration and the state Department of Early Education and Care between Aug. 23, 2006, and April 27, 2018.

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In a statement following Kasimatis' 2020 sentencing, Norfolk County District Attorney Michael Morrissey said his prosecutors agreed to a plea deal with no prison time.

In her case that led to an indictment in November, the amount of allegedly fraudulent claims tops $488,000. Prosecutors have not said how much they think she stole in the newest case.

Nov. 10, 2021: Manager of Quincy addiction treatment center charged with $500,000 in insurance fraud

Nov. 30, 2020: Quincy woman pleads guilty in 'sprawling' public benefits fraud case

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Reach reporter Wheeler Cowperthwaite at [email protected].