Aftab Hussain, a former New York pharmacy owner, has been sentenced to two to six years in prison for his role in a Medicaid fraud scheme that defrauded the state of more than $11.5 million.
Mr. Hussain, who operated more than 20 pharmacies in New York City and Westchester County, illegally obtained IV medications through black market channels and paid kickbacks to Medicaid recipients to direct their prescriptions to his pharmacies, according to a Nov. 20 news release from the New York state attorney general.
From 2015 to 2019, Mr. Hussain and his associates paid patients between $25 and $100 to fill their prescriptions at his pharmacies, where the drugs were often illegally sourced. Mr. Hussain also bought back HIV medication from patients for a fraction of its wholesale value, putting vulnerable individuals at risk by depriving them of necessary treatment.
The fraudulent scheme involved submitting false Medicaid claims for these illicit medications, putting taxpayer funds at risk and endangering public health, according to the press release.
Mr. Hussain, who pleaded guilty to multiple charges including grand larceny and healthcare fraud, is also required to pay $7 million in restitution to the state.