Oregon Convicts Two Portland NEMT Owners Who Billed Rides for Deceased Riders

On September 17, 2026, the Oregon Department of Justice announced that its Medicaid Fraud Control Unit (MFCU) had won convictions against the owners of two NEMT companies, Pride Transit, LLC and Hope Medical Transport LLC. Both owners live in Portland and drove for their own companies. Each billed for rides supposedly given to people who had already died. Trillium Community Health Plan referred both cases, and both owners are now barred from running any business that receives Medicaid funding.

What each owner pleaded guilty to

Pride Transit gave rides to Medicaid members in the Portland metro area. Its owner billed for rides supposedly given to one person who had died. He was charged on September 3, 2026, with two counts of Making a False Claim for Health Care Payment, both Class C felonies. On September 10 he waived grand jury indictment and pleaded guilty to both counts.

Hope Medical Transport’s owner billed for rides supposedly given to two people who had died. He was charged on June 9, 2026, with several counts of making a false claim and theft in the first degree. On September 15 he waived grand jury indictment and pleaded guilty to one count of each.

Each owner got 36 months of supervised probation and a $5,000 fine. The Pride Transit owner must also do 150 hours of community service and pay $6,420 in restitution. The Hope Medical Transport owner must do 200 hours and pay full restitution of $12,695.34. Neither case topped $12,700 in restitution, and both still ended in felony convictions.

The same release notes that the 22-person unit has won 207 criminal convictions in the last 10 years.

Why a small claim is a felony in Oregon

Under ORS 165.692, knowingly sending a claim with a false statement to get a health care payment is a crime, whatever the amount. ORS 165.990 makes it a Class C felony and allows charges up to five years after the claim. A Class C felony carries up to 5 years in prison and a fine of up to $125,000 (ORS 161.605 and 161.625). Theft in the first degree, which includes theft of property worth $1,000 or more, is a Class C felony too (ORS 164.055).

Both owners were charged and convicted in their own names. Federal rules add one more cost: the HHS Office of Inspector General excludes anyone convicted of a crime tied to Medicaid services, including by a guilty plea, for at least five years (42 CFR 1001.2, 1001.101, and 1001.102).

Who checks ride claims in Oregon

Trillium is a coordinated care organization (CCO) in two Oregon regions. As of October 2026, its Tri-County members (Clackamas, Multnomah, and Washington counties) book rides through MTM Health, and its Southwest members (all of Lane County and western Linn and Douglas counties) use RideSource.

Federal rules require each Medicaid health plan to check that billed services were actually received, to tell the state when a member dies, and to refer possible fraud to the state or straight to the MFCU (42 CFR 438.608). In Oregon, a CCO member’s enrollment ends on the date of death (OAR 410-141-3810). On open card trips, a brokerage pays nothing when the rider dies before the driver arrives (OAR 410-136-3220).

What to do now

1. Bill only rides that happened. MTM pays nothing for a Trillium no-show or a cancel at the door. Mark those trips as what they were, never as completed.
2. Cancel recurring trips that end. MTM schedules recurring Trillium trips three months at a time, or with no end date for dialysis. When a regular rider dies, moves, or is in the hospital, cancel the rest of the series with the ride service.
3. Keep proof of every ride. Under OAR 410-141-3920 and 3520, your CCO trip records must show the ride was given, stay open to the Oregon Health Authority, the MFCU, and CMS, and be kept at least 10 years after the date of service.
4. Return money for rides that did not happen. Report the overpayment to the plan, return it within 60 days of finding it, and explain the reason in writing (42 CFR 438.608).
5. Report suspected fraud. Email the Oregon MFCU at Fraud.Referral@doj.state.or.us.

For Oregon’s ride services, driver rules, and permits, see the Oregon state guide.