AG Moody Announces Arrest of Ineligible Medicaid Provider for Defrauding Medicaid of More Than $68,000

TALLAHASSEE, Fla.—Attorney General Ashley Moody’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit and the Hernando County Sheriff’s Office today arrested an ineligible Medicaid provider for defrauding Medicaid of more than $68,000. In applying to become a Medicaid provider, Jose Troche failed to disclose former felony convictions that precluded Medicaid from accepting the application. Due to the false statement, Troche received the funds from Medicaid.

Attorney General Ashley Moody said, “This suspect willingly falsified his application to become a Medicaid provider and fraudulently received more than $68,000 from the taxpayer funded program. Deceiving Medicaid for the payout is not only wrong, it’s unlawful, and thanks to the efforts by members of my Medicaid Fraud Control Unit, this man will face justice for his crime.”

According to an MFCU investigation, Troche owned My Journey JMT Inc., created to provide home and community-based services to Medicaid recipients. However, Troche’s past criminal record makes him ineligible to be a Medicaid provider. While awaiting sentencing after pleading to and being adjudicated guilty on two felonies in 2017—False, Fictious or Fraudulent Claims against the U.S. and Aggravated Identity Theft—Troche enrolled to become a Medicaid provider. On the application, however, Troche failed to disclose the felony convictions. The false report led to the application being accepted under false pretenses and Troche fraudulently receiving a total of $68,667 from the Medicaid program.

Troche is charged with one count of Medicaid fraud more than $50,000, a first-degree felony. If convicted, Troche faces up to 30 years in prison and $10,000 in fines. Attorney General Moody's Office of Statewide Prosecution will prosecute this case.