(WNY News Now) – BUFFALO, N.Y.-U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross announced today that a 29-year-old Buffalo, NY, businessman pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Lawrence J. Vilardo to conspiracy to commit health care fraud, which carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Franz M. Wright and Mary C. Kane, who are handling the case, stated that Arkan Fadhel, 29, is the owner of Queen City Transportation, Inc., which has been providing non-emergency Medicaid transportation rides since August 2018. Fadhel and several dozen other individuals drove Queen City beneficiaries to appointments, primarily at methadone clinics. Prior to operating Queen City, Fahdel was a driver for Great Lakes Transportation, another non-emergency Medicaid transportation company. Between August 6, 2018, and December 31, 2020, Fahdel submitted false and fraudulent attestation records to Medical Answering Service, a non-emergency Medicaid transportation management company. The attestation records included claims that rides were provided but never actually took place as well as billing group rides as if the rides had been separate, individual rides. The total loss amount to Medicaid was greater than $250,000.
As part of his plea agreement, Fadhel has agreed to forfeit $781,186.80.
The plea is the result of an investigation by Western New York Health Care Fraud Task Force, which includes Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Matthew Miraglia, the New York State Department of Financial Services, under the direction of Superintendent Adrienne A. Harris, the New York State Police, under the direction of Major Stanley Edwards III, and Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Naomi Gruchacz.
Sentencing is scheduled for July 19, 2024, before Judge Vilardo.
Leave a Reply