Two people in Florida are facing felony charges after officials say they tricked the state’s Medicaid system out of tens of thousands of dollars. Attorney General James Uthmeier announced the arrests of Alexander McKinnie and Kara Morrison on Wednesday. The pair is accused of running a scheme involving fake gas money reimbursement.
According to investigators, the trouble stems from claims for non-emergency medical transportation. Medicaid often pays for gas to help patients get to necessary appointments.
However, a probe by the Medicaid Fraud Control Unit discovered that McKinnie was asking to be paid back for trips that never happened. Authorities say he billed the program for more than $65,000 in services that were never actually provided.
Morrison is accused of helping McKinnie with the plan. Investigators claim she submitted another $7,000 in false claims for reimbursement.
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Attorney General Uthmeier had strong words about the case, calling Medicaid fraud a clear example of “theft from taxpayers.” He promised that his office would aggressively go after anyone trying to exploit these public funds.
The consequences for these charges are severe. McKinnie is charged with Medicaid Provider Fraud and Organized Scheme to Defraud. Because the amount was over $50,000, these are first-degree felonies. If he is convicted, he could face up to 30 years in prison and a $10,000 fine.
Morrison faces similar charges, but hers are third-degree felonies because the dollar amount was lower. She faces a maximum of five years in prison and $5,000 in fines.
McKinnie was taken into custody by the Orange County Sheriff’s Office, while Morrison was arrested by deputies in Hillsborough County. Prosecutors in Florida’s Eighteenth Judicial Circuit will handle the case in court.
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