October 7, 2014

• Steven Topazio wrote this May 10, 2015 at 3:16 pm

The client, a 41 year old, hired Boston Criminal Defense Lawyer Steven J. Topazio after he was summonsed to court for an arraignment for fraud following an internal audit by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, Division of Medical Assistance, which  revealed that the client applied for and received MassHealth Benefits despite claiming residency in the State of Florida.  According to the audit, the client fraudulently collected $14,226.74 in Division of Medical Assistance (DMA) MassHealth benefits by intentionally withholding the fact he did not reside in Massachusetts.  He continued his scheme by making 2 representations claiming he resided in Massachusetts, failing to notify DMA that he reported on his personal taxes that he was a resident of Florida.  Attorney Topazio investigated the matter and discovered that his client owned distressed property in both Worchester as well as in Florida.  That his client was a resident of Massachusetts for a period of time, when he moved to Florida where he changed his residency, yet continued to maintain ownership of the Worchester property.  Although the facts of this case suggest that the client moved back to Massachusetts, he nevertheless continued to acknowledge on his personal tax filings that his residency remained in Florida while he was trying to rescue his Florida property which was going through a foreclosure.  Despite the dilemma the client found himself in, Attorney Topazio was able to convince the prosecutor to give his client a continuance without a finding CWOF, so as to avoid his client being convicted of this felony charge, on the condition that he repay the Commonwealth, and the court agreed.