Two Massachusetts firefighters are among five people indicted Monday in connection with an EMT recertification scheme, according to Attorney General Martha Coakley.
Officials said those indicted created and submitted training records that falsely showed dozens of emergency personnel attended courses they were required to complete in order to maintain their certification.
Police said Leo Nault, 50, of Concord, N.H., a paramedic formerly at Trinity Ambulance, in Haverhill, was the central operator of the alleged scheme.
Authorities allege that Nault conspired with the other defendants to gather EMT signatures on attendance rosters for the refresher courses, which he then submitted to OEMS falsely certifying more than 200 people, whose names appeared on those attendance sheets, thus enabling them to qualify for recertification.
Jeffrey Given, 41, of Haverhill worked as a paramedic at Trinity Ambulance in Haverhill and was also a Haverhill firefighter. Investigators allege that Given collected signatures from fellow firefighters on several of Nault's rosters. These "refresher" courses were either not taught by Nault, or taught but not attended by the firefighters.
Authorities allege that Given also signed false rosters for his own benefit.
Officials also allege Telly Cordova, 37, of Brighton was working as an EMT and Boston firefighter when he arranged for fellow firefighters to get their names placed on refresher attendance rosters without their having to attend the classes.
Victor Valdez, 46, of Malden, Mass., worked as an EMT and supervisor at Armstrong Ambulance in Arlington. Authorities allege that he collected signatures on several of Nault's attendance rosters from multiple EMTs who worked with him, as well as from more than two dozen public safety employees who also participated in the scheme.
Police also allege that Valdez also signed his own name as an attendee on one set of these rosters in order to receive recertification despite not having taken the required refresher course.
Tonia Schofield, 52, of Billerica, was working as a paramedic at Cataldo Ambulance, which is headquartered in Somerville, when she allegedly collected multiple colleagues' signatures on Nault's attendance rosters so that they could receive refresher credit without attending the class, police said.
Investigators allege that Schofield also failed to take the required refresher course herself during the 2006-2007, but instead signed her name as an attendee on a set of Nault rosters.
"We allege that the conduct of these individuals severely undermined the states EMT certification process," Coakley said. "The certification process is designed to ensure that emergency medical personnel are properly trained and kept up-to-date with the constantly evolving medical skills necessary for emergency treatment. These acts posed a risk to public safety and public health and our office is continuing our probe into this matter."
Coakley said the suspects will be arraigned in Suffolk Superior court at a later date.
Officials said referrals will be made to employers to determine the appropriate course of remedial and disciplinary action to be taken regarding all EMTs who are currently working without being properly certified.
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