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Superdrugs I is located on Liberty Avenue near 127th Street in South Richmond Hill.
By Forum Staff
The owner of four South Queens pharmacies has been indicted for allegedly submitting millions of dollars in claims as part of a scheme to defraud Medicare and Medicaid, federal prosecutors announced on Monday.
According to the indictment, Aleah Mohammed, 33, also known as “Aleah Haniff,” was the owner and operator of Superdrugs Inc., Superdrugs I Inc., Superdrugs II Inc. and S&A Superdrugs II Inc., located in South Richmond Hill, South Ozone Park, and Jamaica. Beginning in approximately May 2015 and continuing through June 2018, Mohammed executed a scheme in which she and others submitted fraudulent claims to Medicare Part D plans and Medicaid for reimbursement for prescription drugs that were not dispensed, prescribed as claimed, or medically necessary. The fraudulent claims included claims for prescription drugs for the treatment of HIV.
Through this scheme, Mohammed’s pharmacies received approximately $7.9 million in reimbursements from Medicare and Medicaid. The indictment further alleges that Mohammed used the proceeds of the scheme to purchase, among other things, luxury items including a Porsche and jewelry.
“These investigations matter because the subjects are stealing money each and every one of us pays in taxes to fund these programs,” said FBI-NY Assistant Director-in-Charge Bill Sweeney. “What adds insult to injury, defrauding the government and stealing money is rarely about anything more than spending money on frivolous things like pricy jewelry and fast cars. Our ultimate goal is to stop these fraudsters from wasting the millions they steal so it can go to the patients and taxpayers who depend on it.”
If convicted of health care fraud, Mohammed faces a maximum sentence of 10 years’ imprisonment.
