A Brooklyn man pleaded guilty today to defrauding New York State Medicaid of approximately $65 million through claims for social adult day care services and home health care services that were not provided.
According to court documents, Ahsan Ijaz, 29, of Brooklyn, New York, was an owner of Happy Family Social Adult Day Care Center, Inc. and Family Social Adult Day Care Center Inc., social adult day care centers located in Brooklyn, and Responsible Care Staffing Inc., a home health care fiscal intermediary in Brooklyn. 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. Ijaz is the 10th defendant to plead guilty in connection with the scheme.
Ijaz pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit health care fraud. He is scheduled to be sentenced on March 10, 2027 and faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Assistant Attorney General Colin M. McDonald of the Justice Department’s National Fraud Enforcement Division (Fraud Division); U.S. Attorney Joseph Nocella Jr. for the Eastern District of New York; Acting Deputy Inspector General for Investigations Miranda L. Bennett of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG); Acting Special Agent in Charge Pete Gizas of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) New York; and Commissioner Jessica S. Tisch of the New York City Police Department (NYPD), made the announcement.
HHS-OIG, HSI New York, and NYPD investigated the case.
Deputy Chief Patrick J. Campbell and Trial Attorney Leonid Sandlar of the National Fraud Enforcement Division’s Health Care Fraud Section are prosecuting the case, with the assistance of Assistant U.S. Attorney Claire Kedeshian for the Eastern District of New York, who is assisting with forfeiture matters.
On April 7, the Department of Justice announced the creation of the Fraud Division. The Fraud Division is laser-focused on investigating and prosecuting those who commit fraud against the American people. The Department’s work to combat fraud supports President Trump’s Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, a whole-of-government effort chaired by Vice President J.D. Vance to eliminate fraud, waste, and abuse within Federal benefit programs.