Amtrak health-care fraud scheme: four workers plead guilty

Federal prosecutors say the Amtrak health-care fraud scheme has now produced four guilty pleas — a fresh development in what the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Jersey characterizes as a long-running, wide-ranging investigation.

This is reported by the railway transport news portal Railway Supply.

Timothy Bogen, 60, of Hamden, Connecticut, is the most recent defendant to enter a plea. On Jan. 21, he appeared in Newark federal court before U.S. District Judge Madeline Cox Arleo and pleaded guilty to an indictment charging conspiracy to commit health care fraud.

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Between June and October of last year, three other Amtrak workers also pleaded guilty to the same conspiracy charge before Judge Arleo: Quinton Johnson, 54, of Irvington, New Jersey; Gregory Richardson, 36, of Roosevelt, New York; and Dion Jacob, 51, of Brooklyn, New York.

Amtrak employees pleaded guilty in New Jersey case

The four defendants are among those named in a broader indictment tied to the Amtrak insurance kickback scheme, based on case documents and statements. In 2025, six additional individuals in the same indictment also pleaded guilty. Five were previously reported, and another defendant, Rodolfo Rivera, 42, of Clayton, Delaware, has also pleaded guilty, as previously covered by Railway Supply.

Prosecutors allege the co-conspirators — all Amtrak employees — took cash kickbacks from health-care providers and, in return, allowed the employees’ insurance plan to be billed for care that was either not medically necessary or for services never provided. The alleged conduct is also outlined in an Amtrak Office of Inspector General investigation release.

Health care fraud conspiracy and providers involved

Two health-care providers have already pleaded guilty in the case: acupuncturist Punson Figueroa and podiatrist Michael DeNicola. Figueroa was sentenced to 34 months in prison in September 2024, while DeNicola’s sentencing remains pending.

The health care conspiracy charge carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.

Sentencing dates set for several defendants

Sentencing hearings are scheduled for several of the defendants. Bogen is set for June 25, 2026. Dion Jacob is scheduled for Feb. 18, 2026, and Quinton Johnson for March 24, 2026.

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