Plymouth daughter, granddaughter, nurse, charged in fatal elder neglect case allegedly involving false MassHealth claims

BROCKTON – Massachusetts Attorney General Andrea Joy Campbell and Plymouth County District Attorney Timothy Cruz today announced that Eva Cardoso, Kayla Cardoso, and Lisa Hamilton were indicted and arraigned in Brockton Superior Court on various charges including manslaughter, caretaker neglect of an elder, larceny, and Medicaid fraud. The Attorney General’s Office (AGO) and Plymouth County District Attorney’s Office (DAO) allege that the three women were responsible for the wellbeing of Dinora Cardoso, 79, but that their failure to properly care for her ultimately led to her death.  

The AGO and DAO allege that Eva Cardoso, Dinora’s daughter, was hired to be Dinora’s personal care attendant (PCA), and Kayla Cardoso, Dinora’s granddaughter and Eva’s niece, was Dinora’s health care proxy and PCA Program Surrogate. The women allegedly billed MassHealth for services that were not provided, including for services allegedly provided while Dinora was inpatient and after her death. Additionally, bank records show that Eva provided a portion of her PCA check to Kayla on a regular basis. MassHealth paid Eva over $140,000 for her PCA care of Dinora. 

Ultimately, on May 17, 2023, Eva called 911 to report that her mother needed an ambulance. First responders discovered Dinora covered in cockroaches, bedbugs, and feces. Dinora died two days later at the hospital from necrotizing fasciitis and sepsis due to infected ulcers. 

Hamilton was a registered nurse who was responsible for visiting Dinora at least once per week to check on her care, medical conditions, and medication intake. Based on the AGO and DAO’s investigation, seven days before Eva called 911, Hamilton allegedly visited Dinora at home, but reported that she was clean, well cared for, alert, and that her diabetes was well-controlled. She made no mention of pressure ulcers, feces, bed bugs, or cockroaches. EMT and hospital records clearly showed that Dinora had completely uncontrolled diabetes. Additionally, an expert entomologist informed investigators that the level of insect infestation Dinora experienced would have taken at least several weeks to accumulate. 

A grand jury indicted the three women on November 19, and they were arrested and arraigned on November 22 on the following charges:  

1.     Eva Cardoso, 53, of Brockton  

a.     Manslaughter, Caretaker Neglect (Causing Serious Bodily Injury), Caretaker Neglect (Permitting or Committing Abuse, Neglect, or Mistreatment), Medicaid Fraud, Larceny over $1,200 

b.     Bail set: $5,000 

c.     Conditions of release: No contact with witnesses, no out-of-state travel, no working in a healthcare setting with children or elderly patients 

2.     Kayla Cardoso, 31, of Brockton 

a.     Caretaker Neglect (Causing Serious Bodily Injury), Caretaker Neglect (Permitting or Committing Abuse, Neglect, or Mistreatment), Medicaid Fraud, Larceny over $1,200 

b.     Bail set: $500 

c.     Conditions of release: No contact with witnesses, no out-of-state travel, no working in a healthcare setting with children or elderly patients 

3.     Lisa Hamilton, 64, of Stoughton  

a.     Caretaker Neglect (Causing Serious Bodily Injury), Caretaker Neglect (Permitting or Committing Abuse, Neglect, or Mistreatment), Fraudulent Claims 

b.     Bail set: $500 

c.     Conditions of release: No contact with witnesses, no out-of-state travel, no working in a healthcare setting with children or elderly patients (Hamilton may continue to work in her role as a nurse with supervision)  

The defendants are all scheduled to reappear in Brockton Superior Court for a pre-trial hearing on January 15 at 11 a.m.  

All of these charges are allegations, and the defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty.  

This case was handled by Assistant Attorney General Heidi Gosule, Supervising Investigator Dean Bates, Investigator Ashley Martinez, and Senior Trial Attorney Elisha Willis, all of the AGO’s Medicaid Fraud Division, as well as Sharon Thibeault from the Plymouth DAO, with assistance from the Office of Inspector General, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Massachusetts State Police assigned to the Plymouth County District Attorney’s Office, and the Office of the State Auditor’s Bureau of Special Investigations. 

The AGO’s Medicaid Fraud Division is a Medicaid Fraud Control Unit, annually certified by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to investigate and prosecute health care providers who defraud the state’s Medicaid program, MassHealth. The Medicaid Fraud Division also has jurisdiction to investigate and prosecute complaints of abuse, neglect and financial exploitation of residents in long-term care facilities and of Medicaid patients in any health care setting. Individuals may file a Medicaid/MassHealth fraud complaint or report cases of abuse or neglect of Medicaid patients or long-term care residents by visiting the AGO’s website. 

The Massachusetts Medicaid Fraud Division receives 75 percent of its funding from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services under a grant award totaling $5,922,320 for federal fiscal year 2025. The remaining 25 percent, totaling $1,974,102 for FY 2025, is funded by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.