Harrison Thorp 9:30 a.m.
Friday, April 8, 2022 9:25 am

DOVER - A suspect in a Rochester Taxi Cab company's yearlong Medicaid fraud caper will plead guilty to reduced charges next week.
Angelica Soule, 35, of Evergreen Lane, of Lebanon, Maine, was charged in June 2015 with two felony counts of theft by deception and two felony counts of Medicaid fraud, but in her deal with prosecutors she will plead guilty to a single count of conspiracy to make false claims, according to court documents obtained by The Rochester Voice.
The sentence was fully negotiated between the state and defense counsel.
The former owner of Frank's Taxi pleaded guilty in July to a series of charges involving Medicaid fraud.
Among the charges Edward Donnell IV, 40, of Dover, were in connection with fraudulent claims for non-emergency medical transportation services from June 2, 2015, to April 30, 2016, when he engaged in a conspiracy with his employees including Soule, that led to Frank's Taxi obtaining more than $20,000 for transportation services that were never provided.
Donnell pleaded guilty to conspiring with Liudmila Bulatova, 38, Soule, and David Hackney, 40, while Donnell owned Frank's Taxi, which was headquartered in Somersworth, but also served many Rochester residents.
Bulatova, Donnell's wife, was employed by Frank's Taxi and handled the company's billing, while Hackney worked as a driver. Soule was Hackney's girlfriend.
Donnell was sentenced to 12 months in the Strafford County House of Corrections, with a recommendation for administrative home confinement after 30 days for conspiracy to make false claims charge, a class B felony. The court further ordered Donnell to pay restitution jointly and severally in the amount of $21,298.14 to New Hampshire Medicaid.
Hackney previously pleaded guilty in March 2021 to conspiracy to make false claims, a class B felony, and conspiracy to commit theft by deception, a class A felony. He was sentenced to 12 months at Strafford County House of Corrections.

Meanwhile, Bulatova's plea and sentencing is scheduled for June 7.