Candidate for Sheriff Claims to be Crusader in War Against Drug Addiction, but Profits Million$ off Opioid Epidemic
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Plymouth Police Sergeant Scott M. Vecchi, a self-proclaimed crusader in the war
against the devastating opiate/opioid epidemic, is now also a declared candidate for
Plymouth County Sheriff. Vecchi acquired a Taxi and Livery service company in 2009
and still owns it jointly with his wife, operating out of Plymouth. According to Scott
Vecchi's political website under "About Scott" it says:
"As a Police Sergeant Scott experiences firsthand the tragic opiate epidemic that
is upon us, and combats it at the street level on a daily basis."
In actuality, however, as a law enforcement officer Scott Vecchi has profiteered
from the opioid epidemic to the tune of more than $2.3 million dollars, providing
transportation services for opioid addicts who receive daily methadone treatments at great
taxpayer expense.
According to the "Scott M. Vecchi, Esq. LinkedIn" website, he lists one of his
business accomplishments as follows:
President
Plimoth Transportation, Inc.
September 2009- February 2014 (4 years 6 months)
Plimoth Transportation provides Taxi and Livery services in the Plymouth MA area
Mayflower Taxi is the DBA (doing business as) name for 24 Hr Taxi services in the Plymouth area
Plimoth Transportation Inc. the parent company of Mayflower Taxi provides Livery services ... and contract medical transportation on a pre arranged basis.
According to the Secretary of State's Office, Corporations Division, Scott M.
Vecchi of Gunners Exchange Road, Plymouth, Massachusetts was listed as the Owner
and President of Plimoth Transportation, Inc., doing business at 130 Camelot Drive, #19
Plymouth, MA. In February of 2014 Vecchi put Plimoth Transportation in his wife's
name, listing her as owner and president, though the change was legally a rather pointless
gesture as he still retained ownership of the business as a jointly held marital asset.
Coincidentally, 2014 was the same year Mr. Vecchi decided to run for the second
time for Plymouth County Commissioner (this time as a registered Democrat), for which
he was required to file a Statement of Financial Interest (SFl) with the Massachusetts
State Ethics Commission upon filing his signature papers with the Office of the Secretary
of State in May of that year (MGL c. 268B, s. 5(a». That timing also happened to
coincide with the auditing of several state agencies scrutinizing government payments
made to certain state contract vendors including transportation providers receiving
monies from Medicaid through MassHealth. The question arises therefore, whether
Vecchi removed his name as president of Plimoth Transportation in order to avoid
possible scrutiny of his financial and business interests while running for public office.
There is also the possibility that Vecchi shrewdly sought to take financial advantage of
government contract preferences that are now given to minority and women owned
businesses.
Background:
Medicaid funds hundreds of millions of dollars in benefits administered annually
through MassHealth and Regional Transit Authorities (RTAs) that provide nonemergency
transportation services for substance abuse patients in opiate treatment
programs, including daily rides to suboxone® and methadone treatment centers. Plimoth
Transportation, Inc., also doing business as Mayflower Taxi (hereinafter simply referred
to as Plimoth Transportation), is one of those state contract vendors that provides
transportation services paid for by Medicaid through MassHealth and RTAs including the
Greater Attleboro Taunton Regional [Transit] Authority (GATRA), and the Cape Cod
Regional Transit Authority (CCRTA).
Between August 27, 2010 and August 28, 2015, Medicaid, through MassHealth
and Greater Attleboro Taunton Regional [Transit] Authority (GATRA) paid Plimoth
Transportation one million six hundred and ninety-four thousand seven hundred thirty-six
40/100 ($1,694,736.40) dollars, most of which was for non-emergency opioid addiction
treatment related transportation services (see 2 page GATRA vendor payment report
marked "A").
Meanwhile, between September 30,2011 and March 30, 2016, Medicaid, through
MassHealth and Cape Cod Regional Transit Authority (CCRTA) paid Plimoth
Transportation, six hundred forty thousand five hundred thirty-five 09/100 ($640,535.09)
dollars for similar services (see 4 page CCRTA vendor payment report marked "B").
In one month alone, April of 2014, Plymouth Transportation billed GATRA
fifty-two thousand eight hundred eighty-six 22/100 ($52,886.22) dollars, and CCRTA
seven thousand three hundred twenty-nine ($7,329.00) dollars, for a total of sixty
thousand two hundred fifteen 22/100 ($60,215.22) dollars.
Between August 27, 2010 and March 30, 2016, Medicaid, through MassHealth,
GATRA and CCRTA paid Plimoth Transportation a total of two million three hundred
fifty-three thousand two hundred seventy-one 40/100 ($2,353,271.40) dollars, mostly for
non-emergency opioid addiction treatment related transportation services.
That equals an average of more than twenty-three thousand eight hundred thirty
($23,830.00) dollars per month, or two hundred eighty-five thousand nine hundred fifty
($285,950.00) dollars per year. These figures do not even include hundreds of thousands
of dollars that Plimoth Transportation had to have made through regular, non-Medicaid
subsidized, private transportation taxi and livery service fares, the full amount of which is
not readily available for public disclosure.
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