Two Clifton Park brothers have pleaded guilty to second-degree grand larceny in a Medicaid transportation fraud case involving more than $1.6 million in improper claims, state officials said Monday.
Jawad Choudhary, 44, and Junaid Choudhary, 45, agreed to pay full restitution, according to the New York state comptroller's announcement. Both entered pleas before Albany County Judge William T. Little and are due back for sentencing Dec. 14. The release did not specify proposed sentences.
Investigators said the brothers used three Medicaid transportation companies to bill for rides that did not occur and to bill unauthorized group rides as individual trips. They also inflated charges and paid kickbacks to patients, according to the comptroller's office. The claims covered 2021 through 2025.
Junaid Choudhary owned A1 Rides Inc. and submitted more than $1 million in false claims, investigators said. Jawad Choudhary owned NY Jet Transport Inc. and submitted more than $400,000. Ride to Recovery Corp. was also part of the investigation.
The case began after New York State Police contacted the comptroller's office in October 2024 about suspected false billing. A joint investigation and forensic audit by the comptroller, Albany County prosecutors, State Police and the Medicaid inspector general traced the claims. Investigators said money went toward mortgage and credit card payments, cash withdrawals and other accounts.
The June announcement of charges named two other people. Monday's announcement reports guilty pleas only for the Choudhary brothers and does not state the status of the other defendants' cases.
New Yorkers can report suspected fraud involving taxpayer money through the comptroller's investigations office or its toll-free fraud hotline, 1-888-672-4555.
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