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Twin Sisters Plead Not Guilty To Medical Fraud

BOSTON (AP) — Twin sisters who once lived in Massachusetts, and now live in Minnesota, have pleaded not guilty to charges they stole more than $580,000 from federal, state and local agencies by allegedly providing unlicensed psychological services.

The Massachusetts attorney general's office says neither Nita Guzman nor her sister, Nina Tischer, is licensed to practice psychology in the state. They were arraigned Tuesday in Middlesex Superior Court. A clerk magistrate set bail for Guzman at $150,000 cash and for Tischer at $75,000 cash. They were ordered not to leave Massachusetts.

Prosecutors say the 49-year-old sisters, through their companies, billed Medicare, Medicaid, UMass Medical School and the Lawrence Public Schools for mental health services they were not authorized to provide.

Prosecutors say they often used stolen identities to conceal their fraud.

The sisters used to live in Burlington, Massachusetts, but now live in Minnesota.

(© Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)

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