Two people allegedly defrauded Colorado's Medicaid non-emergency medical transportation program of over half a million dollars, according to court documents.
Ashley Marie Stevens, 40, of Mesa County, and Wesam Yassin, 42, of Douglas County, have been separately charged with defrauding Medicaid’s non-emergency medical transportation program.
Stevens faces six counts of wire fraud, 11 counts of health care fraud, and six counts of money laundering.
Yassin faces six counts of wire fraud, 11 counts of health care fraud, and eight counts of money laundering.
Colorado Medicaid is a federal health care program funded by taxpayer dollars distributed by the state. Colorado Medicaid provides Non-Emergent Medical Transportation to qualified Medicaid beneficiaries who do not have access to transportation when transportation is required to obtain medically necessary non-emergency services.
According to the indictment filed against Stevens, from approximately July 2022 to February 2023, Stevens billed Colorado Medicaid under the business name Armistead Twin Rides, LLC, for over $1 million of non-emergent medical transportation rides for Medicaid beneficiaries. Of this amount, Stevens billed Colorado Medicaid for more than $400,000 for rides for herself and family members, most of whom did not have corresponding medical appointments.
The indictment alleges that Stevens also billed Colorado Medicaid for over $150,000 in rides for four beneficiaries, for which the rides either did not occur at all or involved a destination unrelated to any medical provider or service. Additionally, the indictment alleges that Stevens billed Colorado Medicaid for more than $450,000 for rides that were 400 or more miles per patient, per day. Only a handful of those rides corresponded to medical appointments or services, and those destinations were less than 400 miles away. Proceeds from the scheme were allegedly used for personal gain, including travel and the purchase of a luxury vehicle.
Recommended
Ashley Stevens by scott.mcclallen
According to the indictment filed against Yassin, from approximately March 2022 to October 2023, Yassin billed Colorado Medicaid under the business name Sama Limo for approximately $3.3 million in non-emergent medical transportation rides.
The scheme allegedly includes one instance in which Yassin billed Colorado Medicaid approximately $283,000 for 64 rides for a beneficiary, of which approximately $165,000 represented billing for rides after the beneficiary’s death. Additionally, the balance of those rides does not correspond to any medical appointments in Colorado.
In other instances, Yassin billed Colorado Medicaid for hundreds of thousands of dollars for rides that beneficiaries say never occurred. Proceeds from this scheme were allegedly used for personal gain, including the purchase of a home, furnishings, luxury vehicles, jewelry, and cosmetic surgery.
The charges in the indictments are allegations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
The investigation is being conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, with assistance from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General. The case is being prosecuted by Colorado First Assistant Attorney General and Director of the Medicaid Fraud, Abuse & Neglect Unit, Rebecca Weber, serving as a Special Assistant United States Attorney for the District of Colorado.
The Colorado Medicaid Fraud Abuse and Neglect Unit receives 75 percent of its funding from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services under a grant award totaling over $4 million for the federal fiscal year 2026. The remaining 25 percent, totaling $1.3 million, is funded by the state of Colorado for the federal fiscal year.
Editor’s Note: Do you enjoy Townhall’s conservative reporting that takes on the radical left and woke media? Support our work so that we can continue to bring you the truth.
Join Townhall VIP and use promo code FIGHT to receive 60% off your membership.
Join the conversation as a VIP Member