Attorney General James Uthmeier has announced the arrest of two individuals in connection with a Medicaid transportation fraud scheme in Florida. Hector Luis Sanchez Gonzalez and Juan Carlos Vilchez Montiel have been charged for their involvement in defrauding the state’s Medicaid program through non-emergency medical transportation (NEMT) claims.
“Florida’s Medicaid program is not there to line the pockets of fraudsters gaming the system,” stated 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 arrests were made with assistance from the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office and the St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office after warrants were secured by the Attorney General’s Office.
The investigation revealed that Sanchez Gonzalez and Vilchez Montiel submitted fraudulent NEMT claims by inflating mileage. They allegedly paid Medicaid recipients to allow listing of pickup locations far from actual addresses, increasing mileage and reimbursement.
GPS data showed that during over 8,000 trips claimed by Sanchez Gonzalez, he was at his residence instead of transporting patients. He admitted to submitting false claims, profiting from inflated mileage.
From January 1, 2020, to August 31, 2023, Sanchez Gonzalez’s actions resulted in a $134,568.02 loss to Medicaid. Vilchez Montiel caused a $211,239.27 loss during the same period.
Both face one count each of Scheme to Defraud, a first-degree felony punishable by up to 30 years in prison. The Attorney General’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit will prosecute these cases with the State Attorney’s Office for the Fourth Judicial Circuit.
