A Central Florida man and woman are facing charges connected to a Florida Medicaid fraud scheme.
Attorney General James Uthmeier announced Wednesday that Alexander McKinnie and Kara Morrison are suspected of submitting tens of thousands of dollars in Medicaid charges related to gasoline reimbursements for non-emergency medical transportation trips that never happened.
McKinnie was arrested by the Orange County Sheriff’s Office while Morrison was apprehended by the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office.
“Medicaid fraud is a clear example of theft from taxpayers,” Uthmeier said in a news release. “In Florida, our Medicaid Fraud Control Unit will safeguard public funds and aggressively pursue anyone who exploits these programs.”
Uthmeier’s investigators launched a probe and determined McKinnie ran up bills to Medicaid that amounted of more than $65,000 for services that were never delivered. Morrison added on another $7,000 in fraudulent reimbursement claims.
The charges against McKinnie include Medicaid provider fraud exceeding $50,000 and one count of organized scheme to defraud, both first-degree felonies. The charges carry a maximum prison sentence of 30 years along with a $10,000 fine.
Morrison, meanwhile, has been charged with Medicaid provider fraud of less than $10,000 and organized scheme to defraud. Those charges are third-degree felonies that could bring a maximum of five years in prison and a $5,000 fine.
Prosecutors in Florida’s 18th Judicial Circuit will handle the case.
