Indictments reveal more detail about alleged Medicaid fraud by Frank's Taxi

DOVER - Indictment documents on file at Strafford County Superior Court and reviewed by The Rochester Voice on Thursday revealed that an alleged Medicaid fraud conspiracy by Frank's Taxi centered around false billing for transportation services between a Farmington woman's home and nonemergency medical services at a Somersworth treatment facility that never occurred.

Those charged are Frank's Taxi, LLC owner Edward Donnell IV, 38, and his wife, Liudmila Bulatova, 36, both of 33 Ezras Way, Dover, who did the bookkeeping; David Hackney, 39, a mechanic and driver who lists an Arizona address; and his girlfriend, Angelica Soule, 32, who in court filings for a public defender listed an Evergreen Lane, Lebanon, Maine, address.

The four are accused of sharing in more than $20,000 worth of fraudulent claims filed between June 2, 2015, and April 30, 2016. The suspects were under investigation by Medicaid fraud investigators for several months prior to the indictments being handed down.

Donnell, Bulatova and Soule all waived their arraignments in recent days, while Hackney was allowed to delay his arraignment until next month.

Donnell, Hackney, Bulatova and Soule were each charged with one count of conspiracy to commit theft by deception, a class A felony, one count of theft by deception, a class A felony, one count of conspiracy to make false claims, a class B felony and one count of making false claims, a class B felony in connection with scheme to defraud the State's Medicaid Program.

In addition, Donnell was charged with one count of Presenting False Records and one count of Destruction of Records, both class B felonies.

The penalty for each false claims indictment is 3½-7 years, for the theft by deception it is 7 ½-15 years, and for Presenting False Records and Destruction of Records it's 3 ½-7 years.

Frank's Taxi, which has been around since 2013 and for years was known locally for its $5 anywhere in Rochester fares, currently lists a Farmington address on Ten Rod Road.

Donnell, who has retained Rochester Attorney Robert Zubkus for defense counsel, did not return phone calls made to him on Thursday.