Worcester News

Worcester firm charged with abuse, fraud, money laundering

  • Posted by Worcester News Apr 1 - Filed in News - #Worcester  #crime  #Fraud  #Mass. Attorney General  #MassHealth  #money laundering  #abuse  - 11,582 views

    Worcester district court - panoramio (1)
    LEONARDO DASILVA, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

    WORCESTER — A Worcester-based medical transportation company and its owner have been indicted for allegedly defrauding MassHealth of more than $3 million, laundering the proceeds, and abusing and neglecting patients, the Massachusetts Attorney General’s Office said Tuesday.

    Instant Transportation, LLC, and its owner, Ardit Islamaj, 36, of Worcester, were indicted March 27th by a grand jury on 17 counts, including Medicaid false claims, larceny over $1,200, patient abuse and neglect, identity draud, money laundering and witness intimidation.

    Prosecutors allege the company billed MassHealth for non-emergency medical transportation services that were never provided between August 2018 and August 2023. The claims included rides with no related medical appointments, rides for deceased or hospitalized patients, and trips for patients who had canceled.

    Islamaj is also accused of laundering the illegally obtained funds and instructing employees to impersonate MassHealth members to generate more fraudulent rides.

    In addition to the financial allegations, Instant and Islamaj allegedly allowed drug use and sales during patient transport, hired drivers accused of sexual assault, and failed to use wheelchair-accessible vans for patients who needed them.

    Islamaj also allegedly paid a former employee thousands of dollars just before she was scheduled to meet with investigators, in what prosecutors describe as an attempt to intimidate a witness.

    The case is part of a broader effort by the Attorney General’s Office to combat MassHealth fraud by medical transportation providers.

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