UPDATE: Two Capital Region Brothers Plead Guilty in $1.6 Million Medicaid Transportation Fraud Scheme
Two Clifton Park, N.Y. brothers pleaded guilty to defrauding the Medicaid program of more than $1.6 million through fraudulent billing and kickback schemes involving three Medicaid transportation companies. New York State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli, Albany County District Attorney Lee C. Kindlon, New York State Police Superintendent Steven G. James, and Office of Medicaid Inspector General (OMIG) Acting Medicaid Inspector General Frank Walsh announced the pleas Sept. 28.
Jawad Choudhary, 44, and his brother Junaid Choudhary, 45, pleaded guilty to second-degree grand larceny in Albany County Court for their roles in the scheme, which involved submitting false claims for Medicaid transportation services between 2021 and 2025.
“This joint effort sends an unmistakable message to those who seek to line their pockets by defrauding the Medicaid program: You will be held accountable,” Acting Medicaid Inspector General Frank Walsh said. “Medicaid fraud threatens the health and safety of beneficiaries, wastes taxpayer dollars, and drains essential resources from the health care delivery system. My office is committed to working closely with our state and law enforcement partners to protect the integrity of the Medicaid program, hold wrong doers fully accountable, and preserve precious health care resources.”
The joint investigation involving OMIG, the New York State Comptroller's Office, the New York State Police and the Albany County District Attorney’s Office, revealed Junaid Choudhary, owner of A1 Rides Inc., submitted more than $1 million in false Medicaid claims, while Jawad Choudary, owner of NY Jet Transport Inc., submitted more than $400,000 in false claims.
The investigation found that the brothers fraudulently billed Medicaid for individual rides that were actually unauthorized group trips, inflated reimbursement claims and billed for transportation services that were never provided. Investigators also determined that the defendants allegedly paid kickbacks to Medicaid recipients and used proceeds from the scheme for mortgage and credit cards payments, cash withdrawals and transfers to other personal and business bank accounts.
Both defendants pleaded guilty before Albany County Court Judge William T. Little and will pay full restitution. They are scheduled to return court Dec. 14 for sentencing.
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