Ex-Owner Of Transportation Biz Pleads Guilty In $179K Medicaid Fraud Case: IL Attorney General

Attorney General Kwame Raoul said the Prospect Heights resident admitted submitting false Medicaid transportation claims.

By Eric DeGrechie, Patch Staff

Apr 28, 2026 4:01 pm CDT

Antonio Clay has already paid $40,000 in restitution to the state's Medicaid program, and his sentencing hearing before Cook County Circuit Court Judge Thomas J. Byrne is scheduled for July 2. (Nicole Bertic/Patch)

CHICAGO — A former owner of Clay Transportation has pleaded guilty in a Medicaid fraud case involving transportation claims that state investigators said were never tied to services actually provided.

Antonio Clay, 42, of Prospect Heights, pleaded guilty to a Class 1 charge of vendor fraud. Raoul’s office said Clay stole nearly $180,000 from the state by fraudulently submitting Medicaid claims for transportation services he did not provide.

Clay has already paid $40,000 in restitution to the state's Medicaid program, and his sentencing hearing before Cook County Circuit Court Judge Thomas J. Byrne is scheduled for July 2.

According to the attorney general's office, the case was referred by the Illinois Department of Healthcare and Family Services. Investigators for Raoul's office determined that from January 2018 to May 2022, Clay submitted false Medicaid claims to HFS for transportation services to 18 recipients that he did not provide. The attorney general's office said Clay received $179,455 as a result.

"It is unacceptable that anyone would take advantage of programs intended to provide healthcare for our most vulnerable Illinois residents," Raoul said. "I will continue to hold individuals accountable if they exploit critical aid programs for their own financial gain."

The case centers on Medicaid, the public health program that covers medical care for eligible residents, including transportation tied to care. The state said the false claims were submitted through Clay Transportation, the company Clay formerly owned.

"Protecting the integrity of Medicaid is key in providing the highest quality healthcare services to the people of Illinois, and this value remains at the forefront of the work of the Illinois Department of Healthcare and Family Services," HFS Director Elizabeth M. Whitehorn said. "HFS is grateful to Attorney General Raoul and his team for their partnership ensuring that vendors working with this vital program are ethically and responsibly serving the people of our state."