In short
- U.S. Department of Justice states Ijaz is the 10th defendant to plead guilty in connection with the scheme.
- U.S. Department of Justice notes Ijaz faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison.
What happened
Ahsan Ijaz, owner of multiple Brooklyn-based adult day care and home health care businesses, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit health care fraud after defrauding Medicaid of approximately $65 million. His businesses paid cash kickbacks and bribes to Medicaid recipients to induce enrollment and billed Medicaid for services not provided, including when recipients were not in the United States.
Ijaz is the 10th defendant to plead guilty in this scheme. He is scheduled to be sentenced on March 10, 2027, and faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison. The case was investigated by HHS-OIG, HSI New York, and NYPD, and prosecuted by the Justice Department’s National Fraud Enforcement Division.
Over approximately seven years, Ijaz’s businesses paid cash kickbacks and bribes to Medicaid recipients to induce them to enroll with the businesses and billed Medicaid for services that were not provided, including when certain Medicaid recipients were not in the United States at the time of service.
In numbers
- $65 million Amount defrauded from New York State Medicaid
- 10 Defendants who pleaded guilty in connection with the scheme
- 10 years Maximum penalty faced by Ijaz
Named in this item
Organization, victim US — —
What compliance teams should check
- Review claims submitted by Happy Family Social Adult Day Care Center, Inc. and Family Social Adult Day Care Center Inc. for potential fraud indicators.
- Audit Responsible Care Staffing Inc. for improper billing and kickback practices involving Medicaid recipients.
- Cross-check Medicaid recipient travel records to identify claims for services when recipients were not in the United States.
Why it matters
This case highlights the risks of fraudulent billing and kickback schemes in social adult day care and home health care services. Compliance officers must be vigilant in detecting patterns such as billing for services not rendered and inducements to recipients. The involvement of multiple defendants and a large sum—$65 million—demonstrates the scale and complexity of such schemes, emphasizing the need for robust controls and cross-agency cooperation to protect federal benefit programs from abuse.
Catch stories like these on your own customers.
complead screens your customers against adverse media, sanctions and PEP lists, and re-checks them every day. When a name you hold turns up in the news, it lands in your case queue with the evidence attached.