Maine

A Maine cop warned of interpreter fraud 5 years ago. The state is just catching up.

Published

3 months ago

December 24, 2025

A Maine cop warned of interpreter fraud 5 years ago. The state is just catching up.

The Bangor Daily News was the first to report this story. What you’re reading here would likely not be made public without the efforts of professional journalists asking questions, interviewing sources and obtaining documents.

In late 2020, a federal investigator identified a concerning pattern within MaineCare, the state’s Medicaid program: Providers were billing for suspiciously high levels of interpreter services in what appeared to be a pattern of waste, abuse or fraud.

Interpreter claims surged by 283% between 2011 and 2017, with costs rising from roughly $800,000 to over $4.1 million annually. The increase occurred even as the number of refugees and immigrants arriving in Maine declined. The investigator wrote a report for fellow police, taking a closer look at billing trends following the high-profile prosecution of two interpreters, two social workers and a counselor in 2019.

In the years since the report was written, prosecutors have not brought any additional criminal cases. Under state law, interpreters are not required to have licenses. Providers have also continued to bill MaineCare at similar annual amounts to those that raised the investigator’s suspicion.

The report, which was obtained by the Bangor Daily News along with a partial copy of a second memo from 2021 that validated the findings through an additional analysis, has never been disclosed before. The findings are coming to light in the wake of a federal inquiry by a Republican-led congressional committee into welfare fraud.

That probe began after Minnesota federal prosecutors in November charged dozens of people, largely from that state’s Somali population, with stealing hundreds of millions of dollars from social programs. The House panel’s inquiry recently expanded to include a Maine behavioral provider that serves immigrants and refugees, Gateway Community Services.

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On Tuesday, the Maine Department of Health and Human Services halted MaineCare payments to Gateway, alleging the company overbilled for interpreter services by more than $1 million. Gateway denies the state’s claim. Since May, the organization has faced allegations of overbilling from a former employee, first published by The Maine Wire, the media arm of the conservative Maine Policy Institute.

The 2020 report shows that concerns of systemic fraud in the MaineCare system among providers who serve the state’s immigrant population were raised years ago. It is unclear how state officials responded to it. Gateway was the second-highest biller for interpreter services in the past 10 years, state data show.

The front door to Gateway Community Services’ Portland office is pictured earlier this month. Credit: Ari Snider / Maine Public

A spokesperson for Attorney General Aaron Frey said the office was aware of Pellerin’s memo and referred the BDN to a 2019 case as its most recent example of prosecuting MaineCare fraud. The U.S. attorney’s office has not prosecuted any healthcare fraud cases pertaining to interpreters in Maine since 2019.

The author of the report, Brian Pellerin, who wrote it while serving as an agent focused on Maine with the inspector general’s office of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, declined an interview. He is now the No. 2 to Cumberland County Sheriff Kevin Joyce.

His report followed Maine’s last round of prosecutions around MaineCare fraud centered on the state’s Somali community. Federal prosecutors found that two interpreters had targeted newly arrived refugees — largely from Somalia — and brought them to specific providers for care. Those providers then charged MaineCare for interpreter services that were either overinflated or never happened, then gave the interpreters a cut of the money.

One of the interpreters, Abdirashid Ahmed, was estimated to have made off with at least $1.8 million, prosecutors said. He pleaded guilty in 2019. Nancy Ludwig, Heather Borst, and Danielle Defosse-Strout, all of whom worked for Lewiston-based Facing Change, were the providers also convicted in the scam.

Pellerin suspected that the same scheme might explain the high billing levels for interpreter services he discovered across the system. His investigation looked at the number of claims filed, patients served, and the total amount of MaineCare dollars distributed by MaineCare for interpreter services each year between 2011 and 2019.

Over those years, the number of claims filed steadily rose, from 16,300 in 2011 to 43,806 in 2019, according to Pellerin’s report. At the same time, the total number of patients ebbed and flowed with a low of 2,856 in 2011 to a peak of 4,559 in 2016. Meanwhile, the number of newly arrived refugees stayed flat, then declined — a notable fact given that the scheme Pellerin suspected depended on recruiting new arrivals, according to the report.

When certain MaineCare providers became reliant on immigrants, the interpreters started making demands, Pellerin found. They would ask providers to bill MaineCare for more units of interpreting services than they actually did and negotiate illegal kickbacks outside the MaineCare fee structure. If providers wanted to continue making money, they would have to listen to the interpreters or else they would lose their patients, the report found.

Pellerin’s report did not mention the names of the specific providers whose billing levels indicated potential fraud, waste or abuse. He noted that the scams not only defrauded Maine’s taxpayer-funded health system but also hurt vulnerable refugees, saying bad actors were taking advantage of fellow members of the state’s Somali community by treating them as a “harvested commodity” with little regard for their actual health needs.

“These MaineCare beneficiaries are often newly arriving immigrants who are potentially receiving lifesaving or life-altering medical treatment,” the report said.

Instead, they were potentially receiving poor quality services, or none at all, he concluded. Ludwig’s trial presented examples of that potential harm. A Somali refugee testified that Ahmed had brought him to see Ludwig, a social worker, to treat a toothache and asthma, according to federal court documents. Another testified he didn’t know why he was brought to Ludwig.

It is not clear what happened after Pellerin completed his report. But the spending trends observed in Pellerin’s report remain true, according to a BDN analysis of MaineCare data obtained in a public records request.

In the last 10 years, providers filed more than 45,000 interpreter claims, totaling more than $41.4 million. Half of that money went to only a few providers. The BDN contacted the top 10 providers and asked if they had ever been contacted by federal law enforcement. Only two responded, with one of them saying they had not. (The BDN is not naming that provider because it has not been charged with a crime.)

The other, Gateway, said through a lawyer that it also had not been contacted in the last 10 years by federal law enforcement. The audit that prompted state officials to pause MaineCare payments to the company on Tuesday began in early 2023 and looked at claims submitted between 2021 and 2022, according to a notice of violation.

Prior to the announcement that the organization’s MaineCare payments had been suspended, the provider’s lawyer, Pawel Bincyzk, denied allegations of fraud or being aware of Pellerin’s report.

“Gateway stands by its previous statements on this issue and will continue to cooperate with the state as it has in the past,” Bincyzk said.

Maine is one of 18 states in the country that provides direct reimbursement for language interpreters under Medicaid. The state pays $20 per 15 minutes for interpreting, according to the MaineCare manual. Interpreters don’t bill the state directly. Instead, a provider such as a doctor or mental health counselor bills MaineCare for services rendered, as well as interpreting. The provider then pays the interpreter, according to state regulations.

When Pellerin’s report was written and still today, MaineCare’s manual says interpreters must hold a state license. DHHS reminded providers in 2021 that they were supposed to provide the interpreter’s appropriate certification and licensure, along with other documentation to prove their qualifications.

However, the state’s licensing office doesn’t oversee interpreters except for those focused on American Sign Language. In 2019, the Maine Legislature approved a measure that eliminated the licenses that governed other interpreters, getting rid of the mechanism to license foreign language interpreters despite the requirement in state regulations.

Maine DHHS follows the procedures outlined in the MaineCare manual and can do reviews after a payment is made, department spokesperson Lindsay Hammes said. That review typically includes documentation related to qualifications, date, time, and duration of service, language used and costs.

But the agency did not specifically answer questions about how many times its internal auditing unit has found billing violations for interpreter services. It also did not clarify how interpreters are supposed to be licensed as required by MaineCare when no specific foreign language licensure exists in Maine, other than saying it was under the purview of the budget department.

To address the issues, Pellerin’s report included several things the state could take to correct the programmatic weaknesses identified. Those included incorporating similar requirements and qualifications used by courts for interpreters and requiring interpreters to become MaineCare providers so they could bill directly. At a minimum, it could enforce the regulations in the benefits manual, the report said.

Even among the 18 states that directly reimburse interpreters, every state has slightly different regulations around qualifications, said Mara Youdelman, the managing director of federal advocacy for the National Health Law Program. After spending nearly two decades studying the issue, she helped create the only group in the country that can certify foreign language interpreters for work in healthcare. The certification has been available since 2009.

Youdelman helps track how the 18 states across the country utilize interpreters and the regulatory framework those states use. While the state of Maine is spending millions of dollars each year on interpreting, she cautioned that it can be hard to tell if something nefarious is going on. In fact, Maine’s model of having providers bill MaineCare for interpreting is common among the 18 states, she said.

While she’s looked at interpreting services for many years, Youdelman said she’s never heard of interpreters defrauding the system. She worries that some will use instances of fraud as an excuse to cut language services.

“The competency of interpreters is critical,” she said. “We really do need to make sure that interpreters are actually qualified to do the job, because if not, and we have ineffective communication, then medical errors occur, negligence occurs, malpractice occurs, and people literally die.”

Bangor Daily News investigative reporter Sawyer Loftus may be reached at sloftus@bangordailynews.com.

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Maine

Maine’s juvenile offenders and at-risk youth have been cast aside again | Opinion

Published

51 minutes ago

March 29, 2026

Press Room

Maine’s juvenile offenders and at-risk youth have been cast aside again | Opinion

Mariah Pizzuto is a licensed social worker and MSW student at the University of Maine at Orono. She is also a former Child Protective Services caseworker.

The Maine State Legislature has again failed to affect real change regarding Long Creek Youth Development Center. LD 1923, An Act to Repurpose Long Creek Youth Development Center and Build a Community System of Support, has been amended to the point where we will not see real action on the subject for another five years, if at all.

The original bill proposed that the facility be repurposed with a start date of no later than Jan. 1, 2027. Amendments now state that studies will be conducted over the next five years to provide recommendations for exactly how the facility should be changed — ridiculous considering the fact that the state has known since 2021, when Gov. Mills vetoed legislation to close the facility due to a lack of proper interventions being in place, that supports for Maine’s juvenile offenders and at-risk youth need to be investigated.

Here we are, five years later, with the state putting off change yet again in favor of “studies.” How many of our youth must be exposed to the revolving door of a broken criminal justice system before we see real steps forward? Frankie Bachelder, a former resident of Long Creek who was there five separate times from the ages of 14-16, said it best in his testimony to the Joint Standing Committee on Criminal Justice and Public Safety:

“Each time I was released from Long Creek, there was no real treatment plan, no meaningful re-entry support and no follow-up care. I was sent home and expected to do better, with the same trauma, the same addiction issues and the same lack of support I had before…..the problem wasn’t that I was incapable of change. The problem was that Long Creek wasn’t designed to help me change.”

Powerful, impactful words from a youth who has firsthand experience in not only being
subjected to Long Creek, but finding his way out of addiction and maladaptive behaviors. We know what needs to be done. LD 1923, before its amendments, outlined it in perfect clarity. We must implement services for housing, behavioral health, education, substance use disorder prevention and treatment, wrap-around case management, the list goes on.

The original bill even included a section regarding development of a working group to study options and best practices for repurposing the land and facilities at the center — we had it all, but it was taken away in order for the state to avoid assuming responsibility for affecting change by 2027.

“I’m standing here today employed, sober, involved in my community and working with youth organizations because someone finally invested in my rehabilitation. I am living proof that when we focus on treatment instead of punishment, lives change,” Frankie Bachelder testified.

What is stopping Maine legislators from being the force to invest in our youth? I know that fixing a broken system will take time, money and effort. I know that it is a massive responsibility and it is much easier to let things continue on as they currently stand. Mr. Bachelder probably felt the same after repeated stints at Long Creek. But if he can turn things around, make an effort to dig himself out of a system that is not designed to help him and support his improvement, then the very least we can do is follow his lead.

But we won’t. The Maine State Legislature has proven that. We have failed him, and will continue to fail every child that enters our broken and outdated facility. Why are we so afraid to take action?

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Maine

Colleges: Despite two home runs, UML baseball team falls to Maine

Published

13 hours ago

March 28, 2026

Press Room

Colleges: Despite two home runs, UML baseball team falls to Maine

One day after a nine-run victory over Maine, the UMass Lowell baseball team fell 9-5 to the Black Bears during America East action at LeLacheur Park in Lowell.

Despite the game being played in 35-degree temperatures, the River Hawks received a pair of home runs.

Catcher Nicholas Solorzano blasted a solo homer to right field in the second inning. In the ninth inning, first baseman Sean O’Leary ripped a pitch over the fence in right field.

UML managed eight hits. O’Leary led the offense, going 2-for-5 with an RBI and scoring two runs. Center fielder Carlos Martinez went 2-for-5 and drove in one run. Third baseman Joseph DeLanzo went 1-for-4 and collected one RBI.

But three UML pitchers allowed 14 hits to Maine, which scored twice in the second inning, three runs in the fourth and two more runs in the seventh.

Taking the loss was Brian Foley (0-2). Foley allowed seven hits and five earned runs, while striking out four, in 3.1 innings. He was followed on the mound by Nolan Geisler, who yielded seven hits and two earned runs in 3.2 innings.

Track

A group of runners from the UMass Lowell men’s and women’s outdoor track and field team competed on the final day of the Raleigh Relays on Saturday afternoon in Raleigh, N.C.

Junior Emily Burdick (Billerica) kicked off the day in the women’s 800-meter run, finishing in 156th place with a 2:17.20 mark.

Next was the women’s 200, where junior Jayani Santos (Tewksbury) impressed with a 39th-place performance out of 149 runners in 24.75.

The men followed, starting with sophomore Michael Fisher (Wallingford, Conn.) in the 200. He claimed 80th place in 22.46. The 800m run closed out the weekend and graduate student Graham Stedfast (Rowley) and senior Basit Iddriss (Milford) ran well. Stedfast finished in 29th place with a time of 1:51.33, while Iddriss claimed 113th place in 1:53.98.

“It was a good finish to the trip,” said UML head coach Gary Gardner. “Mike and Jayani ran solid second races for the weekend. Emily and Basit had their fastest openers ever. Graham had an illness and lost 10 pounds last week so we are very pleased with his race.”

Women’s lacrosse

In Lowell, senior Macy Shultz (Adams, N.Y.) posted a team-high five points, but UMass Lowell fell 16-10 to the Bryant Bulldogs in the team’s first home conference game of the season.

“A bit of a broken record here,” said UML head coach Lisa Miller. “We are competing. We had players who made and were trying to make plays. We need to keep scrapping, trying to come up with draw control and clear the ball. We are playing good defense and scoring consistently. Need to find a way to generate more offensive possessions.”

Shultz, who finished with three goals and two assists, was one of six River Hawks (4-7, 0-2 AE) to record at least a goal in the contest. Senior Grace Lydon (Rowley) collected two goals and two assists, while junior Bronwyn Hilbert (Lancaster, Pa.) added three points off a goal and two assists.

Junior Chloe Bowers (Whitefish Bay, Wis.) added a pair of goals, while sophomore Georgia Ruscitti (Toronto, Ontario) and redshirt freshman Chiara Pompei (Catonsville, Md.) each tallied a goal.

The River Hawks went straight to work, as Hilbert found Shultz open for the first goal of the contest just over a minute in. Only a few minutes later, the hosts struck again, this time with Lydon finding the back of the net off a Hilbert assist, putting her squad in front 2-0. The Bulldogs retaliated with haste, though, scoring four straight to take a 4-2 lead into the second quarter.

The River Hawks will visit the Binghamton Bearcats next Saturday.

Men’s lacrosse

Endicott College defeated Roger Williams, 19-3, in Conference of New England action at Hempstead Stadium in Beverly.

Adam Priest (Billerica) and Manny Marshall (Chelmsford) found the back of the net twice in the wire-to-wire victory.

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Maine

The Best Small Town In Maine For Seniors

Published

1 day ago

March 28, 2026

Press Room

The Best Small Town In Maine For Seniors

Whether you are a lifelong Mainer looking for a practical place to settle into retirement or you are planning a move from out of state, Bangor makes a strong case as a smart landing spot for seniors. Set inland and generally more affordable than many of Maine’s coastal communities, the third most populous city in the state delivers the essentials retirees care about: strong healthcare access and the feel of a regional hub. Fun local outings help round that out, from exploring the Cole Land Transportation Museum and its collection of historic vehicles to catching a concert at the Maine Savings Amphitheater on the waterfront. Stephen King’s famous former home on West Broadway also gives Bangor an extra point of interest that makes time in town feel a little more memorable. Better yet, Bangor puts you within easy driving distance of one of the country’s most recognizable protected landscapes: Acadia National Park and the Bar Harbor shoreline.

Money Makes it Farther in Bangor

Overlooking Bangor, Maine.

Stable living is a critical component of retiring comfortably, and Bangor makes this possibility a reality for seniors. Many retirees become renters in their golden years when they relocate, and the median rent in Bangor for a one-bedroom house is $1,300, according to Zillow data, which is lower than the national median. The housing market for those seniors looking to purchase a new home instead is similarly promising. Homes here have a median list price of approximately $305,000, which is lower than the almost $400,000 median list price across the country and in Maine.

In terms of cost of living, Bangor falls significantly below the coastal communities of Maine. According to the Economic Research Institute’s data, Bangor is 6% less expensive than the average city in Maine, and transportation costs are more affordable than the average in the United States.

Living Life to the Fullest

One of the primary advantages of living in Bangor is the amenities that come with its larger population and city size. Between healthcare, historical landmarks, cultural centers, and eateries, seniors do not have to compromise things to do as they age in Bangor.

Dining

Eating in the city is a combination of flavors, cultures, and experiences. Locals here love Dysart’s Restaurant Broadway, a part-gas station, part-truck stop that was recognized by Food & Wine Magazine as the best of its kind in America back in 2022. This restaurant has curated a menu focused on made-from-scratch Maine staple comfort foods, whether that is the Signature Mac & Cheese or the Maine Baked Beans.

Many locals will also help places like The Butcher, The Baker, solidify their claim as the Best American Restaurant in Bangor, by keeping this upscale dining option on Hammond Street popular year-round. The menu here is diverse and meticulously crafted over 40 years in the food service industry, whether you have a plate of drunken noodles or halibut.

Things to Do

Detail of the gate and house of Stephen King in Bangor, Maine. — The gate and house of Stephen King in Bangor, Maine.

Bangor has a lot of history to find and explore for seniors, especially those interested in the evolution of land transportation through the centuries. In the Cole Land Transportation Museum, right off of I-95 and a heavily frequented tourist attraction, visitors find over 200 vehicles ranging from the logging sleds of old to locomotives and 18-wheelers. This 35-acre facility also houses a few smaller museums dedicated to the World War II Veterans Memorial, the Maine Vietnam Veterans Memorial, and the Maine Korean Veterans Memorial.

Transition from history to entertainment with some of Bangor’s most frequented attractions, such as the sprawling Victorian mansion where world-renowned horror author Stephen King lived on West Broadway. For actual entertainment, seniors and other residents fill the seats of the Maine Savings Amphitheater all year, which draws major touring acts to the waterfront.

World-Renowned Healthcare

Being connected to one of the best healthcare facilities in the state makes senior living more manageable and keeps independent living possible. The Northern Light Eastern Maine Medical Center on State Street is highly regarded, recently earning the only overall five-star rating in Maine in Forbes’ Top Hospitals in America. This facility is known for a wide array of services ranging from cardiac care and cancer treatment to orthopedics and surgery. For seniors retiring in Bangor, having Maine’s only five-star hospital nearby is a critical component to aging comfortably and safely.

Explore Nearby Bar Harbor

Blue waters off Bar Harbor, Maine. — Overlooking Bar Harbor, Maine.

One of the best places for seniors to explore near Bangor is Bay Harbor, a highly recognizable coastal community in Maine. The town is about 50 miles south via Routes 1A and 3. Bar Harbor is the gateway to both Mount Desert Island and the greater Acadia National Park. This impressive natural wonder boasts 120 miles of trails for hiking up small summits and to places like Cadillac Mountain, and countless beautiful sights to behold from Sand Beach to Thunder Hole.

But the town has a lot to offer the senior for a day trip from Bangor as well, from the boutique shops, the locally owned eateries, and the whale-watching cruises. Places like Geddy’s stand out, known for being family-friendly and offering fresh seafood to go with their charming nautical themes. From ahi tuna tacos to fresh oysters, Geddy’s plates some of the best things to come out of the harbor.

Bangor Is Best for Seniors

Whether you have always lived in Maine and recently began considering the most affordable and connected place in the state for seniors entering retirement, or are making a multi-state move, Bangor makes a convincing argument as a sensible place to land. Bangor remains a more affordable option away from the coast, without compromising on amenities like a five-star hospital, and is a short drive from one of the nation’s most recognizable protected natural wonders, Acadia National Park.

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