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Medicaid

‘Rides’ To Riches: NY Ambulette Owner Admits To $20M Medicaid Scam ‘Rides’ To Riches: NY Ambulette Owner Admits To $20M Medicaid Scam
‘Rides’ To Riches: NY Ambulette Owner Admits To $20M Medicaid Scam A Long Island ambulette company owner who lived lavishly on the backs of New York’s neediest has admitted to masterminding a multimillion-dollar Medicaid fraud scheme. Adnan “Eddie” Arshad, 46, of Mount Sinai, pleaded guilty to healthcare fraud and money laundering in Central Islip federal court on Wednesday, June 11. Arshad confessed to leading a ring of fraudsters who stole approximately $20 million from Medicaid by falsely billing for non-existent medical transportation services over the course of nearly four years, prosecutors said. “While Mr. Arshad should have been transporting medi…
Trump’s Standing Tanks With This Voter Group Amid Growing Backlash Trump’s Standing Tanks With This Voter Group Amid Growing Backlash
Trump’s Standing Tanks With This Voter Group Amid Growing Backlash Donald Trump is losing ground with a key voting group, according to a new national tracking poll.  The survey shows sharp declines in his favorability, job approval, and economic ratings among Hispanic and Latino voters. While overall ratings were already low, the second-quarter survey conducted by Global Strategy Group for Somos Votantes shows a deeper erosion in key subgroups: independents, women, and voters under 45. Pollsters attribute the shift to continued economic pessimism, a growing belief that Trump is out of step with everyday priorities, and intensifying opposition to his …
$1.2M Heist On Wheels: Dad-Son Duo Busted In Medicaid Limo Fraud Scheme In Hudson Valley: DA $1.2M Heist On Wheels: Dad-Son Duo Busted In Medicaid Limo Fraud Scheme In Hudson Valley: DA
$1.2M Heist On Wheels: Dad-Son Duo Busted In Medicaid Limo Fraud Scheme In Hudson Valley: DA A father-son duo from the Hudson Valley is accused of masterminding a $1.2 million Medicaid fraud scheme involving fake limo rides and kickbacks to patients. Muhammad W. Khan, 40, and his father, Mohammad A. Khan, 68 — both from Campbell Hall — falsified transportation records, billed for group rides as individual trips, and even paid off patients to use their Ulster County companies, according to state Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli. Muhammad Khan, owner of MAK Limo, is accused of stealing over $1.1 million between November 2020 and August 2024. His father, Mohammad Khan, who owns Atlas Limo,…
EXCLUSIVE: Woman Accused Of Scamming SZA Now Charged In $560K Hospital Fraud Case EXCLUSIVE: Woman Accused Of Scamming SZA Now Charged In $560K Hospital Fraud Case
Exclusive: Woman Accused Of Scamming SZA Now Charged In $560K Hospital Fraud Case A New Jersey woman who allegedly scammed Grammy-winning singer SZA and launched a suicide fundraiser is now criminally charged with stealing over $560,000 in hospital services by faking sickle cell anemia, authorities announced on Wednesday, May 28. Taleah Javon McKnight, 30, is facing one felony count each of Theft by Deception and Theft of Services, according to East Hempfield Township police and the Lancaster County District Attorney’s Office. McKnight has previously lived at addresses in Roselle Park and Rahway, Union County, as well as Carteret, Middlesex County, New Jersey, accor…
Video Shows Moment Ben & Jerry’s Co-Founder Ben Cohen Is Hauled Out Of Senate Over Gaza Protest Video Shows Moment Ben & Jerry’s Co-Founder Ben Cohen Is Hauled Out Of Senate Over Gaza Protest
Video Shows Moment Ben & Jerry’s Co-Founder Ben Cohen Is Hauled Out Of Senate Over Gaza Protest Dramatic video shows the moment Ben & Jerry’s co-founder and Long Island native Ben Cohen was escorted out of a US Senate hearing while protesting Congress’ role in the Israel-Hamas war. The 74-year-old Cohen was arrested Wednesday, May 14, after joining several protesters in interrupting a Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee hearing that featured testimony from Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Capitol Police said Cohen and the others were charged with “crowding, obstructing, or incommoding,” a misdemeanor offense related to illegal protesting…
NY Among Top 10 States For Child Healthcare, New Study Says: Here's Why NY Among Top 10 States For Child Healthcare, New Study Says: Here's Why
NY Among Top 10 States For Child Healthcare, New Study Says: Here's Why Families in the Northeast are getting some of the best care in the country for their children, according to a new study. WalletHub released its 2025 list of Best & Worst States for Children's Healthcare on Tuesday, April 8. The report compares all 50 states and Washington, DC, using 33 indicators of cost, access, and quality. Metrics range from the percentage of children in excellent health to the number of pediatricians per capita. "The quality of children's health care should be one of the most important considerations for parents when deciding where to live," said WalletHub ana…
PHOTOS: 1,400 'Hands Off' Protests Across United States PHOTOS: 1,400 'Hands Off' Protests Across United States
Photos: 1,400 'Hands Off' Protests Across United States Thousands of demonstrators flooded street corners, Congressional offices, and federal buildings across the U.S. on Saturday, April 5, in what organizers called a “national mass activation” against a growing threat to democracy and workers' rights. Nearly 1,400 rallies were held coast to coast, part of a movement opposing what protestors describe as a “Trump-Musk billionaire takeover” and “the Republican assault on our freedoms and our communities.” “Trump and Musk are attempting an illegal power grab,” the event flyer reads. “This is a crisis we must stop. Trump, Musk, and congressional Rep…
New York Among Least Federally Dependent States, New Study Says New York Among Least Federally Dependent States, New Study Says
New York Among Least Federally Dependent States, New Study Says Some states in the Northeast and mid-Atlantic rely heavily on federal dollars, while others send far more to Washington than they get back, according to a new study. WalletHub released its 2025 list of Most & Least Federally Dependent States on Monday, Mar. 10. The study ranked all 50 states based on metrics like return on federal taxes paid, federal funding as a share of state revenue, and the percentage of federal jobs. The report showed a sharp divide in federal dependency across the US, with many Democratic-leaning states contributing more in taxes than they receive a…
NY Rep. Suozzi Defends Vote To Censure Fellow Democrat Over Trump Speech Protest NY Rep. Suozzi Defends Vote To Censure Fellow Democrat Over Trump Speech Protest
NY Rep. Suozzi Defends Vote To Censure Fellow Democrat Over Trump Speech Protest New York Congressman Tom Suozzi is defending his support for censuring a fellow House Democrat who protested President Donald Trump’s speech to Congress. Suozzi–who represents Long Island’s 3rd District–was among ten House Democrats who voted with every Republican member to censure Texas Rep. Al Green on Thursday, March 6, for disrupting Trump’s address to Congress two days earlier. In a post on X following the vote, Suozzi chided Green for distracting from issues like protecting Social Security, Medicaid, and Medicare. “Instead of addressing rising costs, fixing immigration, and Ukraine, …
$14K Scheme: Woman Defrauded Program For Disabled People In Hudson Valley, Police Say $14K Scheme: Woman Defrauded Program For Disabled People In Hudson Valley, Police Say
$14K Scheme: Woman Defrauded Program For Disabled People In Hudson Valley, Police Say An Orange County woman has been arrested after allegedly manipulating invoices to defraud a Medicaid-funded program for individuals with developmental disabilities, authorities said. Following an investigation, investigators determined that Chester resident Julie M. Persaud, 36, falsified invoices and illegally profited over $14,000 from the New York State Office for People With Developmental Disabilities, the Orange County Sheriff's Office announced on Tuesday, March 4.  Authorities allege that Persaud digitally altered invoices to inflate payments from the OPWDD program, which is ser…
$4.4M Medicaid Fraud Scheme: Five Plead Guilty, NY AG Says $4.4M Medicaid Fraud Scheme: Five Plead Guilty, NY AG Says
$4.4M Medicaid Fraud Scheme: Five Plead Guilty, NY AG Says Five Hudson Valley and Capital Region residents and seven transportation companies have admitted to stealing millions from Medicaid. New York Attorney General Letitia James announced Thursday, Dec. 5, that five have pleaded guilty to stealing more than $4.4 million from New York’s Medicaid program through fake billing, illegal kickbacks, and engaging in money laundering and other fraudulent schemes to conceal their crimes.  Muhammad Rizwan Khan, 38, Muhammad Usman Khan, 40, and Farhan Khan, 29, all of Orange County, and their related companies pleaded guilty on Wednesday, Dec. 4, in Or…
Hudson Valley Business Admits To $2.1 Million Medicaid Fraud, AG Says Hudson Valley Business Admits To $2.1 Million Medicaid Fraud, AG Says
Hudson Valley Business Admits To $2.1 Million Medicaid Fraud, AG Says A Hudson Valley business and three employees admitted stealing more than $2.1 million from Medicaid by submitting fake claims for service. New York Attorney General Letitia James announced Tuesday, Oct. 22, that the Orange County owners of DYD Universe, a New York Medicaid-enrolled transportation company, have pleaded guilty for their roles in a scheme that stole more than $2.1 million from Medicaid and paid illegal kickbacks to Medicaid recipients.  According to James, Damir Yuldashev, age 64, his son Daler Yuldashev, age 38, and Daler’s mother, Nigina Iskandarova, age 60, all of Monr…
Multi-Million Dollar Scheme: 8 NYers Accused Of Scamming Government For Services Never Provided Multi-Million Dollar Scheme: 8 NYers Accused Of Scamming Government For Services Never Provided
Multi-Million Dollar Scheme: 8 NYers Accused Of Scamming Government For Services Never Provided Eight New Yorkers who owned, operated, or were employees of several transportation companies have been accused of scamming the government out of millions of dollars for services never provided. The indictments were unsealed on Long Island at federal court in Central Islip on Tuesday, June 11. Seven of the eight are from Long Island and the other from New York City: Noman Ahmed, age 37, Port Jefferson Station; Adnan Arshad, also known as “Eddie,” age 45, Mount Sinai; Rehman Diwan, age 24, Hicksville; Jessica Hendrickson, age 36, Patchogue; Jose Marte, age 33, …
Welfare Fraud Task Force Makes 2 Arrests In Region Welfare Fraud Task Force Makes 2 Arrests In Region
Welfare Fraud Task Force Makes 2 Arrests In Region Two women from the region have been nabbed for alleged welfare fraud. The arrests occurred in Sullivan County in Monticello on Friday, April 12, and Thursday, April 25. According to the Sullivan County Welfare Fraud Task Force, the following arrests were made:  Drewcilla R. Noel, age 31, of Monticello, was arrested on Friday, April 12, and charged with grand larceny and theft of services. It is alleged that Noel utilized Medicaid Medical Transportation services on various dates beginning June 2023 and continuing through December 2023 with multiple transportation compan…
Disgraced Owner Of Failed NJ Nursing Home Chain From NY Admits Stiffing IRS Out Of $39M: Feds Disgraced Owner Of Failed NJ Nursing Home Chain From NY Admits Stiffing IRS Out Of $39M: Feds
Disgraced Owner Of Failed NJ Nursing Home Chain From NY Admits Stiffing IRS Out Of $39M: Feds 𝗨𝗣𝗗𝗔𝗧𝗘: A onetime insurance broker from Rockland County who ran a nationwide network of nearly 100 nursing homes into the ground from an office over a Bergen County pizzeria admitted that he purposely shorted the IRS nearly $39M, federal authorities said. Joseph Schwartz, 64, of Suffern, owned Skyline Management Group, which was based in the Wood-Ridge and amassed 95 nursing homes across 11 states. These once included Hudson View Care & Rehab Center in North Bergen, Brookhaven Health Care Center in East Orange and the Voorhees Care & Rehabilitation Center. Over a period of only sev…
NY Doctor Forced Invasive, Unnecessary Tests On Patients, Attorney General Claims NY Doctor Forced Invasive, Unnecessary Tests On Patients, Attorney General Claims
NY Doctor Forced Invasive, Unnecessary Tests On Patients, Attorney General Claims A New York doctor has been indicted for his alleged involvement in a kickback scheme that involved him defrauding Medicaid and giving patients unnecessary tests, officials announced. New York Attorney General Letitia James announced on Wednesday, Nov. 22 the indictment of Long Island resident Payam Toobian, M.D., alongside his company, America’s Imaging Center, Inc., for over 10 years of alleged Medicaid fraud. Through his corporation, Toobian, age 51, of King's Point, ran Empire’s Imaging, a diagnostic radiology center based in Queens. From January 2006 to August 2017, the AG’s Office …
Welfare Fraud: 3 Women From Region Charged With Theft Of Funds Welfare Fraud: 3 Women From Region Charged With Theft Of Funds
Welfare Fraud: 3 Women From Region Charged With Theft Of Funds Three women from the region have been charged with allegedly stealing government funds following an investigation by the Sullivan County Welfare Fraud Task Force. Those charged are: Lisa Keitt, age 26, of Liberty, was arrested and charged on Sunday, March 19, and charged with theft of services and offering a false instrument. It is alleged that Keitt stole services totaling $505.74 in Medicaid transportation benefits. On Monday, Dec. 5, 2022, and on eight other dates, Keitt obtained a medical transportation ride by deception to two separate medical facilities to which s…
$8M Fraud Scheme: Westchester Man Billed Millions In False Transportation Claims $8M Fraud Scheme: Westchester Man Billed Millions In False Transportation Claims
$8M Fraud Scheme: Westchester Man Billed Millions In False Transportation Claims A Westchester man will spend years in prison after billing more than $8 million in false transportation service claims as part of a multi-million-dollar Medicaid fraud scheme.  Yonkers resident Julio Alvarado, age 63, was sentenced to 95 months in prison on Wednesday, March 29 for leading the scheme which ended up defrauding Medicaid out of millions of dollars, according to the US Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York.  According to federal officials, Alvarado was responsible for billing more than $8 million in fraudulent transportation services for Medicaid…
Nursing Home Stole $22.6M In Government Funds, NY AG Says Nursing Home Stole $22.6M In Government Funds, NY AG Says
Nursing Home Stole $22.6M In Government Funds, NY AG Says Millions of dollars in public funding that should’ve gone to caring for residents of a New York nursing home were instead diverted into the pockets of its greedy owners, according to a lawsuit from Attorney General Letitia James. The suit, filed Friday, Dec. 16, alleges a years-long fraud scheme carried out by the owners of Long Island’s Cold Spring Hills Center for Nursing and Rehabilitation, located in Woodbury. Earlier Report: East Meadow Nursing Home's $16M Fraud Scheme Led To 'Devastating' Resident Abuse, AG Says An investigation by the Office of the Attorney General (OAG) found that…
NY Nursing Home's $16M Fraud Scheme Led To 'Devastating' Resident Abuse, Neglect, AG Says NY Nursing Home's $16M Fraud Scheme Led To 'Devastating' Resident Abuse, Neglect, AG Says
NY Nursing Home's $16M Fraud Scheme Led To 'Devastating' Resident Abuse, Neglect, AG Says Sexual abuse, unexplained bruising, unanswered call bells, and humiliating missed trips to the bathroom. Those were just some of the horrors experienced by residents at a New York nursing home stemming from a multimillion-dollar fraud scheme, according to a lawsuit from Attorney General Letitia James. Related Report: East Meadow Nursing Home Employee Sexually Assaulted Resident, Boss Covered Up Crime, DA Says The suit, filed Tuesday, Dec. 13, alleges that the owners of Long Island’s Fulton Commons Care Center, located in East Meadow, exploited New York’s Medicaid program to enrich themsel…
NY Doctor Charged For $1.3 Million Fraud Scheme NY Doctor Charged For $1.3 Million Fraud Scheme
NY Doctor Charged For $1.3 Million Fraud Scheme A New York doctor is accused of defrauding Medicare and Medicaid of over $1.3 million. Federal prosecutors allege that Dr. Perry Frankel, age 64, of Roslyn, in Nassau County, submitted false billing claims to Medicare and Medicaid for office visits that were never performed for patients who received COVID-19 tests. The tests were done at mobile sites across Long Island through Frankel’s cardiology clinic, Advanced Cardiovascular Diagnostics PLLC, located in Great Neck. Frankel was not even in New York when some of the alleged office visits occurred, prosecutors said. “As alleged, exploiti…
Former Rockland Owner Of Nursing Homes Charged In $39M Tax Dodge Former Rockland Owner Of Nursing Homes Charged In $39M Tax Dodge
Former Rockland Owner Of Nursing Homes Charged In $39M Tax Dodge An insurance broker from Rockland County who ran a nationwide network of nearly 100 nursing homes from an office over a Bergen County pizzeria ducked nearly $39 million in payroll taxes, a federal indictment unsealed on Monday, Jan. 24 alleges. Joseph Schwartz, age 62, was arrested at his Suffern home  Thursday, Jan. 20.  A federal judge in Newark released him to home confinement hours later, with conditions, pending trial. Then came the announcement on Monday, also out of Newark. Schwartz’s Skyline Healthcare LLC amassed 95 nursing homes in 11 states nationwide in less than two…
Westchester Doctor Sentenced For Pushing Fentanyl For Drug Company Westchester Doctor Sentenced For Pushing Fentanyl For Drug Company
Westchester Doctor Sentenced For Pushing Fentanyl For Drug Company A Westchester doctor who practiced in Manhattan has been sentenced to five years in prison for taking bribes from drug companies for prescribing fentanyl. Jeffrey Goldstein, of New Rochelle, was sentenced on Wednesday, June 16, for violating the anti-kickback statute after receiving more than $200,000 from Subsys’s manufacturer, Insys Therapeutics, in exchange for prescribing Subsys, a potent fentanyl-based spray, said. Audrey Strauss, the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York. Goldstein, age 51, previously pleaded guilty, in August 2019, the United States Attorney's Office sa…
COVID-19: Nursing Home Scandal Could Bring Criminal Charges For Cuomo, Prosecutor Says COVID-19: Nursing Home Scandal Could Bring Criminal Charges For Cuomo, Prosecutor Says
Covid-19: Nursing Home Scandal Could Bring Criminal Charges For Cuomo, Prosecutor Says New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s COVID-19 nursing home scandal could lead to federal charges, according to a longtime prosecutor. John Daukas, who was acting attorney general for the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division under President Donald Trump, said that Cuomo could face criminal charges after underreporting nursing home deaths and then attempting to cover it up. Earlier story - COVID-19: Nursing Home Scandal Fallout Increases As More Dems Turn On Cuomo, Feds Launch Probe In an op-ed in the Wall Street Journal, Daukas said that Cuomo’s administration misled the public, and the …
COVID-19: Cuomo Calls For Nursing Home Reform Amid Federal Probe, Increasing Pressure COVID-19: Cuomo Calls For Nursing Home Reform Amid Federal Probe, Increasing Pressure
Covid-19: Cuomo Calls For Nursing Home Reform Amid Federal Probe, Increasing Pressure With pressure coming from both sides of the aisle into investigating New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s handling of nursing homes during the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic, he has vowed sweeping reform as part of the 30-day amendments. Cuomo announced reforms to improve the health, quality of life, and safety of nursing home residents to ensure that “facilities prioritize patient care over profits.” “You can’t say to a nursing home that ‘either you can buy new beds, or you can make more money,' " Cuomo said during a COVID-19 briefing on Friday, Feb. 19. “It’s not a matter of hiring more staff or …
Cuomo Proposes Raising Taxes On Wealthiest NYers Cuomo Proposes Raising Taxes On Wealthiest NYers
Cuomo Proposes Raising Taxes On Wealthiest NYers With New York facing a record-setting $15 billion deficit amid the COVID-19 pandemic, Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s budget proposal includes a potential tax hike for the state’s wealthiest residents. In his budget proposal this week, Cuomo proposed raising taxes on the rich to a combined level of 14.7 percent, which would be the highest state and local tax rate in the nation as New York looks to dig out of the financial hole created during the pandemic. The top tax rate would rise to 10.86 percent, up from 8.82 percent, making it the highest income tax in the nation. It would only impact those making…
COVID-19: Westchester, Suffolk Can Resume Elective Surgeries; Horse Racing Tracks To Reopen COVID-19: Westchester, Suffolk Can Resume Elective Surgeries; Horse Racing Tracks To Reopen
Covid-19: Westchester, Suffolk Can Resume Elective Surgeries; Horse Racing Tracks To Reopen Horse racing tracks across New York State and Watkins Glen International Racetrack will be allowed to open without fans amid the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. Those openings will be effective as of Monday, June 1. The state will issue guidance on how they can open safely reopen in the coming week. Gov. Andrew Cuomo also announced at his news briefing on Saturday, May 16 that two more counties -- Westchester and Suffolk -- are now eligible to resume elective surgeries and ambulatory care.  Cuomo previously announced that the state will allow elective outpatient treatments…
Trump Administration Cancels $8 Billion Healthcare Grant For New York, Cuomo Says Trump Administration Cancels $8 Billion Healthcare Grant For New York, Cuomo Says
Trump Administration Cancels $8 Billion Healthcare Grant For New York, Cuomo Says President Donald Trump’s administration is canceling an $8 billion healthcare grant that had been awarded to New York six years ago, drawing the ire of Gov. Andrew Cuomo. Cuomo said that healthcare funding for New York which was previously granted in 2014 had been canceled by the president’s administration.  The $8 billion was earmarked to allow the state to transition healthcare services from primarily hospital driven to more of a community-based healthcare system. “If there's one area that you'd think should be beyond politics, it's healthcare,” Cuomo said. “And what the federal gov…
22-Year-Old From Hudson Valley Running For State Senate 22-Year-Old From Hudson Valley Running For State Senate
22-Year-Old From Hudson Valley Running For State Senate An upstart 22-year-old from the area announced his intention to run for the New York State Senate. Rockland resident Matthew Weinberg, a Republican, is the latest candidacy to throw his hat into the ring for the New York State Senate District 38 seat that has been held by Democratic Sen. David Carlucci since 2010. Carlucci will be challenging for the retiring Nita Lowey’s seat in New York’s 17th congressional district.  In a statement, Weinberg, of Suffern, cited "disunity within his district, depressed property values due to some of the highest property and school taxes in the nation,…
Two Doctors Among Five Charged In Northeast Regional Health Care Fraud Takedown Two Doctors Among Five Charged In Northeast Regional Health Care Fraud Takedown
Two Doctors Among Five Charged In Northeast Regional Health Care Fraud Takedown Two doctors, a pharmacy owner, pharmacist who lost his license and a registered nurse are facing charges for their roles in a $17 million fraud scheme. The United States Attorney’s Office in the Eastern District of New York announced that Anna Steiner, 63, Denny Martin, 46, Andrew Barrett, 60, Phyllis Pincus, 58, and Kevin McMahon, 31, have been charged for defrauding the Medicare and Medicaid programs by overbilling them by millions of dollars. It is alleged that Steiner, a licensed anesthesiologist from Valatie in Columbia County, New York, was involved in a $17.4 million scheme related …
Chestnut Ridge Generic Drug Company Accused In Price-Fixing Scheme Chestnut Ridge Generic Drug Company Accused In Price-Fixing Scheme
Chestnut Ridge Generic Drug Company Accused In Price-Fixing Scheme A generic drug company based in Chestnut Ridge and a drug sales and marketing executive from Bardonia are among those charged in what authorities called “one of the most egregious and damaging price-fixing conspiracies in the history of the United States.”  A complaint filed by the 44 states in U.S. District Court in Connecticut names 20 companies and 16 individuals accused of participating in the scheme. Par Pharmaceutical Companies, Inc., of Chestnut Ridge, and Ara Aprahamian, of Bardonia, the vice president of sales and marketing at Taro Pharmaceuticals U.S.A, Inc., in Hawthorn…
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