A woman from Webster, New York, Ashley Jackson, has been charged with health care fraud. Acting U.S. Attorney Joel L. Violanti announced her arrest, highlighting the potential penalties of up to five years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Richard A. Resnick provided details of the case, explaining that Jackson owned Roc City Transport in Webster. The criminal complaint alleges that between February 2018 and November 2022, Jackson and others submitted fraudulent Medicaid claims for non-emergency transportation services purportedly provided by Roc City Transport.
The allegations include billing for transportation trips not conducted, classifying individual rides as group rides for higher reimbursement rates, and paying kickbacks to Medicaid recipients who drove themselves instead of using Roc City's services. The primary service involved transporting beneficiaries to methadone clinics in Rochester as frequently as six days a week. The investigation estimates that the fraudulent activities resulted in approximately $40,123.29 being improperly billed to Medicaid.
The investigation was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation under Special Agent-in-Charge Matthew Miraglia's leadership.
It is important to note that these charges are accusations at this stage; Ashley Jackson is presumed innocent until proven guilty in court.