PARIS — A Harrison woman who owns businesses and property in Norway pled guilty Friday to stealing $4 million from MaineCare.

Dawn Cummings Solomon admitted to charges she, through her Living Independence Network Corporation, overbilled the state for hours and expenses since January 2006, according to Michael Miller, director of the Attorney General’s Healthcare Crimes Unit.

“What she was doing was inflating the actual hours of service that were provided” through LINC, which provided services for children with mental retardation, autism and other disabilities.

Solomon was president, shareholder and treasurer of the company, Miller said. According to Miller, Solomon committed billing fraud to the tune of $80,000 a month in 2006. In 2007, she was up to $107,000 a month; in 2008, it was $134,000, Miller said.

Miller said that through billing fraud alone, Solomon bilked the state for more than $4 million. She said Solomon also submitted false costs and expenses on expense reports from caretakers.

Solomon pled guilty to theft by deception, a Class C felony punishable by up to 10 years in prison.

Her sentencing is set for February. Solomon’s attorney and the State made a plea agreement for an eight year sentence with all but 40 to 60 months suspended, plus four years of probation and up to $4 million restitution to the MaineCare program, Miller said.

Solomon’s husband, Harvey Solomon, declined to comment Monday on the charges filed against his wife.

The office of Dawn Cummings Solomon’s business, Opal Consulting LLC on Main Street in Norway was raided in June. Witnesses saw agents going in and out of her offices at 172 Main Street.

Agents from the Office of the Maine Attorney General, Maine State Police, the Oxford County Sheriff’s Office, Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Office of the U.S. Inspector General, Health and Human Services division were involved in the raid.

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