TOWN OF WALLKILL – The
owner and operator of Quitoni Transportation, Inc. has been arrested and
charged with allegedly stealing over $200,000 from Medicaid by submitting
false claims for medical transportation services.
In court papers filed in Wallkill Town Court, the State Attorney General’s
office alleged that from August 3, 2013 to October 1, 2017, Richard Quitoni,
29, of Middletown submitted false claims seeking inflated levels of payment
from Medicaid by allegedly submitted individual mileage claims for each
Medicaid recipient traveling together in the same vehicle, instead of
submitting claims for mileage incurred in one trip as required by Medicaid
rules and regulations.
Medicaid reimburses group trips at a lower amount than individual trips
because the cost to providers is lower than the cost of transporting each
recipient individually.
Quitoni and Quitoni Transportation, Inc. were charged with grand larceny
and offering a false instrument for filing, both as felonies.
Quitoni was released on his own recognizance pending a future court appearance.
If convicted of the top count, he faces up to five to 15 years in state
prison. Both Quitoni and his company are subject to permanent exclusion
from participating as providers in all government-funded healthcare programs,
including Medicaid and Medicare.
