Suffolk Man Gets Over Eight Years for Medicaid Taxi Fraud
Federal prosecutors say he billed millions for rides that never happened, including trips for dead and hospitalized patients.
A Suffolk County man was sentenced to 97 months in federal prison for defrauding Medicaid by submitting millions of dollars in claims for transportation rides that were never provided, federal authorities announced.
Prosecutors said the defendant filed fictitious claims for rides on behalf of people who were deceased, hospitalized, or incarcerated at the time the trips were purportedly made. The scheme involved billing for nonexistent medical transportation services over an extended period.
The sentence — just over eight years — was handed down in federal court. Prosecutors described the fraud as an exploitation of a government benefit program intended to help low-income patients reach medical appointments.
The case was brought by federal prosecutors and reflects a broader crackdown on Medicaid transportation fraud on Long Island. Separately, Suffolk County District Attorney Raymond A. Tierney has partnered with federal agencies including the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General and the IRS Criminal Investigation division on similar fraud prosecutions in the region.
The Newsday newsletter also noted the case among its top Long Island stories Wednesday.