A Claremont man has been sentenced to state prison for his involvement in a Medicaid fraud scheme that resulted in over $21,000 in fraudulent reimbursements, New Hampshire Attorney General John M. Formella announced.
Fraudulent Claims and Sentencing
Joseph Bye, 32, was sentenced by the Merrimack County Superior Court after submitting false mileage reimbursement claims to the New Hampshire Medicaid program between July 2020 and July 2022. These claims were part of the Family and Friends Mileage Reimbursement Program, which was intended to assist individuals with transportation to healthcare appointments.
Bye falsely reported traveling approximately 40 miles from Danville to Concord for medical appointments when, in fact, he was residing in Concord, less than 1.5 miles from the treatment facility. His co-conspirator, Sara Lapointe, 29, made similar fraudulent claims, stating she was commuting 65 miles from Cornish to the same healthcare facility while also residing in Concord.
Bye pleaded guilty to Class B felony Medicaid Fraud – False Claims and Class A felony Theft by Deception. He was sentenced to 1½ to 3 years in the New Hampshire State Prison for the Medicaid Fraud charge, with a consecutive 3 to 6-year sentence, fully suspended for 10 years, on the Theft by Deception charge. Additionally, Bye must pay $21,771.38 in restitution and is permanently barred from participating in the Family and Friends Mileage Reimbursement Program.
Co-Conspirator Sentenced
Lapointe, who pleaded guilty on May 13, 2024, to similar charges, was sentenced to 12 months at the Merrimack County House of Corrections for Medicaid Fraud, followed by a consecutive 5 to 10-year fully suspended State Prison sentence for Theft by Deception. She was also ordered to pay $19,835.23 in restitution to the New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services and is prohibited from participating in the mileage reimbursement program in the future.
Ongoing Investigation and Unit Role
The case was prosecuted by Assistant Attorneys General Connor Buchholz and Andrew Yourell of the Attorney General’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit, with assistance from Financial Investigator Timothy Brackett and former Investigator Eric Shirley.
The Medicaid Fraud Control Unit investigates fraud committed by healthcare providers and individuals within the Medicaid system, including those involved in medical treatments, such as doctors, hospitals, and pharmacies. Anyone with information on Medicaid fraud can contact the unit at (603) 271-1246.
