20 charged in alleged Medicaid transportation fraud scheme

FLORIDA—An alleged $5 million Medicaid transportation fraud scheme has led to the arrests of 20 individuals.

Attorney General Ashley Moody announced the arrests last week after an investigation by her Medicaid Fraud Control Unit (MFCU) reportedly found that the defendants, led by Jose Enrique Hernandez Fernandez, operated a nonemergency medical transportation service that billed Medicaid for thousands of trips never provided.

Moody said the fraudulent transportation scheme caused more than $5 million in losses to the Florida Medicaid program.

The Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office, Clay County Sheriff’s Office, and the Columbus Police Department of Columbus, Georgia, arrested the defendants.

“These fraudsters operated a non-emergency medical transportation service that was supposed to help patients receive care. Instead, they billed Medicaid for thousands of trips never provided and inflated the mileage for the trips actually completed—in all, causing a loss to this taxpayer-funded program of more than $5 million,” said Moody.

Moody said the MFCU investigation revealed that Jose Enrique Hernandez Fernandez owned Sweet Transportation, LLC, which contracted to provide non-emergency medical transportation services to Medicaid recipients.

Over at least two years, Hernandez Fernandez and Sweet Transportation, LLC employees allegedly billed Medicaid for thousands of trips never provided and inflated mileage on completed trips.

GPS data uncovered in the investigation revealed that drivers frequently submitted claims for trips while staying at home, going on vacation, or traveling out of state, Moody said.

Defendants include: Hernandez Fernandez, Carolos Omar Tellez Janez, Timothy Lambert, Luis Alberto Sierra Bernal, Luz Angela Daza Estupian, Marcia Vargas, Omar Andres Sanchez Buitrago, Yilber Ricardo Martinez Quinteo, Aldo Nordelo Janez, Ana Isabel Maur, Dairon Domingues Santana, Fabio Francisco Castaneda Amaya, Iliana Garcia Avila, Astrid Viviana Lineros Orjulea, Joseph Chacon, Juan Carlos Dulzaides Ortega, Juan Gabriel Perez Castro Gutierrez, Martha G. Guevara Paz, Renier Arcencibia Perera,

Yoahna Betancourt Fernandez and Yunier Felix Hernadez Lopez. Chacon and Gutierrez remain at large.

Each defendant arrested is individually accused of organized schemes to defraud over $50,000. Nine defendants are additionally charged with racketeering, another first-degree felony.

Hernandez Fernandez and Tellez Janez are each charged with conspiracy to commit racketeering, racketeering, organized scheme to defraud over $50,000, Medicaid provider fraud over $50,000, and money laundering.

The case will be prosecuted by Attorney General Moody’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit through an agreement with Melissa Nelson, State Attorney for the Fourth Judicial Circuit.