JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Twenty people are accused of helping a Jacksonville company bill the government more than five million dollars in fraudulent claims.
One of the suspects lives in Jacksonville.
>>> STREAM ACTION NEWS JAX LIVE <<<
Jose Enrique Hernandez is accused of using his non-emergency medical transportation company, Sweet Transportation, to bill trips never taken and overstate mileage for reimbursement.
Hernandez was operating the company out of a home in Sans Souci.
Read: Violent altercation leads to two people shot inside car
Neighbors said they were not surprised to hear the arrest.
“If you are going to have that kind of business, would you really park your business vehicles on your property? In my opinion, I walked by, and thought ‘I’m not really sure about all that’,” said neighbor Stacey Willis.
Fernandez signed an agreement to subcontract for Modivcare in 2020. By 2022 he had 30 drivers.
Read: St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office announced arrest of deputy for possessing child pornography
Investigators say he billed Medicaid for 450 miles a day per driver everyday of the year.
Modivcare tells Action News Jax it is cooperating with the investigation.
Three other people from Clay County were arrested for the same crime.
Read: Candlelight vigil held at Chabad of Town Center and UNF to show solidarity with Israel
Clay County Sheriff’s Office says their investigation show the suspects billed for thousands of trips that never happened.
These are the following people arrested from Clay County.
- Martha Gloria Guevara Paz, 68 years old.
- Yilber Ricardo Martinez Quintero, 39 years old.
- Astrid Viviana Lineros Orjuela, 34 years old.
This case will be prosecuted by Attorney General Moody.
[DOWNLOAD: Free Action News Jax app for alerts as news breaks]
[SIGN UP: Action News Jax Daily Headlines Newsletter]
Click here to download the free Action News Jax news and weather apps, click here to download the Action News Jax Now app for your smart TV and click here to stream Action News Jax live.