WORCESTER – A federal judge in Worcester sentenced a local woman on Tuesday for participating in defrauding MassHealth, the Massachusetts Medicaid program.
Robin Cronin, 61, of Worcester, received two years of probation. Cronin pled guilty in September 2000 to conspiracy to commit health care fraud and health care fraud.
Cronin, an office manager at a dental office, was indicted in January 2020 with two dentists practicing in Worcester, Dr. Anthony DiStefano III and Dr. Scott Cale.
According to federal prosecutors, DiStefano was prohibited from providing dental services to patients covered by MassHealth because of concerns of substandard and dangerous care he provided. DiStefano recruited Cale to join his practice to circumvent his exclusion by MassHealth.
Federal prosecutors say from 2014 to 2018, DiStefano personally provided dental services that were billed to MassHealth using Cale’s provider identification number. Cronin was aware of the arrangement and personally billed MassHealth for services that were not reimbursable while knowing the claims were false.
Cale pleaded guilty to his role on Aug. 10 and was sentenced to 18 months in prison and one year of supervised release. Charges against DiStefano were dismissed.
