BRIARCLIFF,N.Y. - Syed Rahman, the owner and operator of Prescription Plus in Briarcliff Manor, was arrested Tuesday and charged with grand larceny after the state attorney general said Rahman conspired with another pharmacy owner to steal more than $500,000 from state medicaid.
Rahman, 62 of Briarcliff Manor, and Shaheen Begum, 57 of New City, face up to 15 years in prison if convicted on the top charge of second degree grand larceny. Begum, who owns Kwik Aid Pharmacy in New City and , law enforcement officials said.
Haverstraw Pharmacy in Garnerville conspired with Rahman to use his pharmacy to improperly file claims to medicaid and steal hundreds of thousands of dollars, according to the attorney general's office
In January 2008, Begum and Kwik Aid Pharmacy were found guilty of professional misconduct by the New York State Agency, which regulates pharmaceuticals, officials said. The ruling barred Begum from the medicaid program. The attorney general's office did not provide information on what behavior led to the professional misconduct ruling.
New York State Attorney General Eric Schneiderman said Rahman and Begum were stealing from the taxpayers' pockets.
“My office has zero tolerance for pharmacists who rip off the taxpayers by defrauding New York’s Medicaid program,” Schneiderman said in a statement. “When unscrupulous operators scam the system, they are stealing from the taxpayers and threatening programs that are intended to provide vital health services to low income individuals and families."
The investigation into the claims was conducted by the state's Medicaid Fraud Control Unit. The case is being prosecuted by Special Assistant Attorney General William McClarnon.
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