Massachusetts van company owner jailed for billing MassHealth for rides never given, some to hospitalized or dead patients
Michael Davini, 59, of Rindge, New Hampshire, owner of Rite Way LLC, pleaded guilty in October 2019 to larceny, Medicaid false claims and kickbacks charges. On November 4, 2019 a Worcester Superior Court judge sentenced him to one year in the House of Correction followed by five years of probation, with restitution of approximately $4.2 million. The Massachusetts Attorney General's office said that between April 2011 and September 2015 he repeatedly billed MassHealth for transportation that was never provided.
- Year
- 2019
- Where
- United States
- Outcome
- Sentenced
- Reported loss
- $4.2 million
- Victims
- Not stated in the sources
- Schemes
- Medicaid transportation fraud
- Last reviewed
- 2026-10-28
The facts, as recorded
- The Attorney General's investigation began after the matter was referred by MassHealth, the state Medicaid program.
- Between April 2011 and September 2015, Davini billed MassHealth for transportation services that were never provided, including claims for individuals who were hospitalized in inpatient settings, no longer used the company's services, or were deceased on the claimed dates of service.
- Investigators also found that Rite Way provided non-emergency wheelchair van transportation to ambulatory individuals, although MassHealth pays for wheelchair van services only for members who use wheelchairs, need to be carried on stairs or need two people's help, or have severe mobility handicaps.
- Rite Way paid cash kickbacks to MassHealth members to recruit others to use its transportation services.
- Davini pleaded guilty on October 24, 2019 to Larceny Over $250 (two counts), Medicaid False Claims (two counts) and Kickbacks (one count). The company pleaded guilty to two counts of Medicaid False Claims.
- Judge William J. Ritter sentenced Davini to one year in the House of Correction followed by a five-year probationary term, which includes a two and a half-year suspended sentence, and restitution totaling approximately $4.2 million. During probation he is prohibited from involvement in federal or state healthcare programs.
- Davini was indicted with others in September 2016.
Why this case matters
The Attorney General’s office describes three separate problems at a single company: billing for trips that were never provided, including for people who were inpatients, no longer used the company or were deceased on the date claimed; wheelchair vans used for riders who did not qualify; and cash kickbacks to members to recruit other riders.
The wrong vehicle for the rider
MassHealth only pays for a wheelchair van when the member meets one of its conditions: they use a wheelchair, need to be carried on stairs or need the help of two people, or have a severe mobility handicap that prevents the use of public transportation, dial-a-ride or a taxi. The Attorney General’s office said investigators found Rite Way providing wheelchair van transportation to ambulatory individuals. The release does not say what rate MassHealth pays for such a van compared with other transport, so this page does not either.
The caveat
Davini and the company pleaded guilty and the sentence has been imposed, so the conduct above is what the court record and the Attorney General’s release say. The release says he was “indicted with others” but does not name them or give their outcomes, so this page says nothing about them. The restitution figure, approximately $4.2 million, is what the court ordered; the release does not give the total of the false claims.
Sources
- Transportation Company Owner Sentenced to Jail for Multi-Million Dollar Medicaid Fraud Scheme. Office of the Attorney General of Massachusetts. Accessed 2026-10-28. Supports: Every fact above: the referral from MassHealth, the April 2011 to September 2015 period, the billing for patients who were hospitalized or deceased, the wheelchair vans used for ambulatory riders, the kickbacks, the guilty pleas, the sentence, the restitution and the probation condition.