JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (CBS12) — Attorney General James Uthmeier brought charges against two men for their scheme to defraud Florida’s Medicaid program.
The Attorney General’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit is charging Hector Luis Sanchez Gonzalez and Juan Carlos Vilchez Montiel with hundreds of thousands of dollars in non-emergency medical transportation (NEMT) claims.
The Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office (JSO) and St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office (SJCSO) assisted in taking both individuals into custody after the warrant was issued, according to the Attorney General.
“Florida’s Medicaid program is not there to line the pockets of fraudsters gaming the system,” said Attorney General James Uthmeier. “My office will continue to hold criminals accountable, protect taxpayer dollars, and stop those who think they can cheat the people of Florida without consequence.”
The investigation revealed that Sanchez Gonzalez and Vilchez Montiel submitted NEMT claims by deceptively inflating mileage. Drivers allegedly paid Medicaid recipients in exchange for allowing them to list pickup locations far from the recipients actual addresses to increase the drivers’ reimbursement.
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GPS data showed over 8,000 trips Sanchez Gonzalez claimed to have driven, but he was sitting at home.
According to AG Uthmeier, Sanchez Gonzalez admitted to knowingly submitting false claims.
The Attorney General claims that between January 1, 2020, and August 31, 2024, Sanchez Gonzalez’s scheme resulted in a loss of $134,568 to the Medicaid program.
During the same time frame, AG Uthmeier says Vilchez Montiel’s scheme caused a loss of $211,239.27.
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