The operators of a Shirley-based ambulette service defrauded Medicaid by billing the program for more than $35 million in rides they never provided or whose costs were inflated, federal prosecutors alleged.
Saad Aziz, 52, of Shirley, and Zabed Chowdhury, 49, of Lake Ronkonkoma, were indicted Wednesday in federal court in Central Islip on charges including money laundering, paying healthcare kickbacks, conspiracy to commit healthcare fraud and healthcare fraud, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York.
Prosecutors said Aziz, the owner and operator of Tri-Hamlet Taxi Inc., and Chowdhury, a manager, used proceeds from the scheme to fund their lifestyles and purchase multiple investment properties and homes worth about $6 million.
Aziz and Chowdhury both plan to plead not guilty, according to their attorneys. Kevin Keating, an attorney for Aziz said in a…
HOW TO SPOT A “RED FLAG” (THE BEHAVIORAL AUDIT)
Keep an eye out for these behavioral shifts in your staff:
Refusal to take leave: Afraid someone will find their “adjustments.”
Unexplained wealth: Buying luxury items that don’t match their known salary.
Working odd hours: Preferring to work alone late at night when no one is watching the system.
“Gatekeeper” behavior: Becoming overly defensive or angry when someone asks to see their records.