PITTSFIELD, Mass. — A Pittsfield man has pleaded guilty and been sentenced in connection with making duplicative claims for personal care services, resulting in an overpayment of approximately $82,000 in funds from the state's Medicaid Program (MassHealth), $46,500 of which was paid directly to him, Attorney General Maura Healey announced on Monday.

Frederick Phillips, 56, pleaded guilty in Berkshire Superior Court to charges of Medicaid fraud and larceny more than $250 by false pretenses.

"This defendant defrauded a system that provides vital health-care services to people with chronic or long-term disabilities," Healey said in a statement. "He took advantage of his role as caretaker for his brother to steal taxpayer dollars and divert critical resources from people in need."

After the plea was entered, Superior Court Judge John Agostini sentenced Phillips to two years in the Berkshire County House of Corrections, suspended for a probationary period of three years. During the that period, Phillips must refrain from illegal drug use, enter substance abuse counseling, and is prohibited from being a MassHealth provider.

The attorney general's investigation revealed that between March 2011 and November 2013, Phillips submitted fraudulent information to MassHealth's Adult Foster Care Program. Phillips, the AFC caretaker for his brother, billed MassHealth for AFC services knowing that his brother was receiving duplicative Personal Care Attendant (PCA) Program services at the same time.

MassHealth funds both programs, allowing members with chronic or long-term disabilities to live independently and remain in their communities. In both programs, caretakers assist with daily living activities such as taking medications, dressing, going to the bathroom and bathing. Under AFC regulation, MassHealth will not pay for AFC services if a member is receiving PCA services at the same time.

A Berkshire County Grand Jury returned indictments against Phillips in February 2016.

This case was handled by Assistant Attorney General Evelyn Y. Tang of AG Healey's Medicaid Fraud Division and investigated by Investigators April Waterhouse and Michael Russo, also of the Medicaid Fraud Division. The Boston office of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General assisted with the investigation.

NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — At least 20 people were forced from their apartments on Wednesday afternoon after a fire broke out in the attic above one of the units.

The report of a fire in one of the rear units in the six-apartment building on Crossey Place came in before 3 p.m. The call came into dispatch from a resident in the apartment who said her walls were warm and "turning black."

"There was a report of the walls turning black and paint bubbling on the walls, said Fire Chief Stephen Meranti. "We did indeed find the wall turning black and the paint bubbling."

An all-call was put out to bring in off-duty firefighters; three engines including the ladder truck were at the scene along with police, North Adams Ambulance Service and Animal Control.

"When we came down the street, smoke was coming out of the eaves all along the whole building, so that's when I initially called for an all-call," said acting Lt. Stefan Lamarre, who arrived with D group. Meranti had already called for A group to get them rolling. "Luckily there wasn't much of a fire load up there so it didn't spread. It could have been a heck of a lot worse."

The attic bay on the long two-story building is open all the way through, which could have led to a much worse fire, Meranti said.

"It appears to be knob and tube wiring in the attic with insulation blown around it," he said, which did not allow for heat from the wires to dissipate, plus a cabinet was on top of that section of the attic floor. "It heated up in the joist space and extended through several bays and dropped down."

The key to containing the fire was the speed at which the first group got in, located it and got a line on it, Meranti said. "It was good work by the guys that initially hit this."

Police Sgt. James Burdick said one of the hydrants near the structure didn't work and would be addressed to the city but everything else went smoothly. No one was injured and River Street was blocked between Houghton and Brown.

"We had people on scene in less than a minute," he said.

Meranti said everyone works together as a team.

The occupants, numbering between 20 and 25, were quickly evacuated from the structure but found themselves standing in the snow in frigid temperatures. Porches Inn opened up its lobby to keep them warm until the Red Cross could arrive and situate them for the night. Building owner Michael Deep also arrived to speak with his tenants. 

The damage appeared to be contained to the back two units, which suffered fire, smoke and water damage. The back units cannot be occupied until the electrical repairs and some structural work is completed. The rest of the apartments escaped damage but the power was shut off.

"They do have an electrician on site and he's going to try to get power so no one loses their Thanksgiving food that's in the freezers," Meranti said. "We're trying to get everything back on so they can get back in for Thanksgiving. That's our goal."