N.C. man accused of stealing more than $200K from Ohio Medicaid

COLUMBUS — Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine announced today the arrest of a North Carolina man accused of stealing hundreds of thousands of dollars from Ohio's Medicaid program.

Special agents with the Attorney General's Health Care Fraud Section assisted the Concord, N.C. Police Department in arresting Augustine Kotee, 39, at his residence in Concord Monday night.

A Franklin County grand jury indicted Kotee this month on 16 charges, including engaging in a pattern of corrupt activity, receiving stolen property, theft, and falsification in a theft offense.

Authorities started investigating Kotee when he allegedly billed Medicaid for services provided to patients who were already deceased.

Investigators said Kotee initially operated a legitimate transportation service for Medicaid recipients in Columbus. After that business closed, he allegedly opened four fake businesses that he claimed provided transportation and durable medical equipment for Ohio Medicaid patients.