Suffolk Man Charged In $2 Million Medicare And Medicaid Fraud Scheme: Feds

BROOKLYN, NY — Fifteen people, including one man from Suffolk County, have been charged in connection with their participation in schemes in which Medicare and Medicaid programs, and other health care benefits programs, were fraudulently billed more than $10.6 billion, the U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District said.

Among those charged was Mujjahid Huq, 45, of Halesite, prosecutors said.

Huq was indicted on three counts of health care fraud, two counts of unlawful monetary transactions, and conspiracy to make false statements in health care matters in connection with a $2.1 million pharmacy fraud scheme, authorities said.

Huq, a licensed pharmacist, owned several pharmacies in Brooklyn, Queens, and Buffalo, investigators said. Through these pharmacies, Huq billed Medicare and Medicaid $2.1 million for drugs that were not dispensed, officials said.

Huq also agreed with others to make false statements about his ownership of the pharmacies, and used the fraud proceeds for his personal benefit, prosecutors said.

Trial attorneys Patrick J. Campbell and Arun Bodapati of the Northeast Strike Force are in charge of Huq's prosecution.

"This record-setting Health Care Fraud Takedown delivers justice to criminal actors who prey upon our most vulnerable citizens and steal from hardworking American taxpayers," Attorney General Pamela Bondi said in a news release. "Make no mistake — this administration will not tolerate criminals who line their pockets with taxpayer dollars while endangering the health and safety of our communities."

Boris Manaev, 45, of Lynbrook, is the other Long Island man who faces charges, prosecutors said.

Joseph Nocella, United States attorney for the Eastern District of New York, said the health care frauds of "staggering proportions" victimized taxpayers and government programs that serve the "most vulnerable" members of society.

"My office is working closely with our law enforcement partners to investigate and track down, here and abroad, those criminals who treat government funded programs and insurance providers like ATMs, and to hold them accountable for every dollar they brazenly stole," Nocella said. "As for the defendants charged with submitting billions of dollars in phony Medicare claims, that is a health care fraud record they will regret setting."