Owner of Binghamton area taxi-cab company accused of defrauding Medicaid

BINGHAMTON, N.Y. — The owner and operator of Broome Taxi is facing charges for operating the company without the “necessary” licensing while generating income from the Medicaid system.

Darin Cox, 43, of Vestal didn’t have the licensing to operate a taxicab in Broome County and was involved in “allegedly fraudulent actions” in obtaining thousands of dollars in payments from the Medicaid system, New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman said in a recent news release.

The release described Broome Taxi as a “Binghamton-area transport company.”

Cox received payments from the Medicaid program for transporting Medicaid beneficiaries to medical appointments, Schneiderman’s office said.

The office also accused Cox of “knowingly” operating his business without a Broome County–issued taxicab license between March 18, 2015 and Jan. 29, 2016.

It also operated without a Broome County-issued taxi-business license and a valid New York state class E driver’s license during the same period.

Running the company without those licenses is a violation of Broome County transportation regulations, Schneiderman’s office said.

The defendant’s class E driver’s license was suspended on March 30, 2015.

In addition, the attorney general accuses Cox of submitting forms in 2014 and 2015 which “falsely” certified that his business had all the licensing required to operate a taxicab in Broome County.

Cox is accused of obtaining more than $80,000 in Medicaid payments during the time that he’s accused on unlawfully operating the company.

He is charged with one count of grand larceny in the second degree; and with offering a false instrument for filing in the first degree.

The defendant was arraigned in Binghamton City Court.

Contact Reinhardt at ereinhardt@cnybj.com