Brooklyn Duo Admit to Massive Medicaid Fraud
Two individuals from Brooklyn pleaded guilty on Thursday to involvement in a scheme that defrauded New York’s Medicaid home health program, resulting in a loss of around $68 million. They were found to have paid kickbacks for services that were allegedly not provided, operating through three companies in New York City.
Manal Wassef and Elaine Antao, both 46, admitted to conspiracy charges related to health care fraud. They referred Medicaid beneficiaries to two adult day care centers and a home health care firm located in Brooklyn in exchange for illegal payments. This development was announced by the U.S. Department of Justice on Thursday.
From October 2017 until July 2024, Wassef and Antao were engaged as marketers and recruiters for Happy Family Social Adult Day Care Center, Family Social Adult Day Care Center, and Responsible Care Staffing, a home health agency, according to court records.
Prosecutors say the two paid individuals involved in the Medicaid program under the table for supposed adult day care and home health services, subsequently billing Medicaid for those nonexistent services.
Additionally, Wassef and Antao employed various entities to clean the ill-gotten gains from their fraudulent activities, using the funds to make more kickbacks and bribes.
Alongside their guilty pleas, the defendants acknowledged that they had defrauded the system by at least $1 million more than previously stated, authorities noted.
The Assistant Attorney General A. Theisen Duva commented that these defendants were part of a large-scale operation, bribing patients and fraudulently billing Medicaid over $68 million for services that were never rendered. “Today’s plea illustrates our commitment to combat fraud in government health care programs and ensure accountability for those who exploit taxpayer money,” Duva stated.
Wassef and Antao are among eight people accused in this extensive kickback and bribery conspiracy targeting state programs. Other individuals charged include Zakia Khan, Ahsan Ijaz, Oasumnea Hamdi, Ansil Abbasi, and Amran Hashmi. Notably, Wassef and Antao are the sixth and seventh to plead guilty in this case.
The fraudulent activities involved the Consumer Personal Assistance Program (CDPAP), which is designed for individuals with little medical training to assist elderly or disabled family members or friends. The system allows numerous “middleman” entities to function between caregivers and Medicaid with minimal oversight, making it vulnerable to abuse.
“These defendants prioritized profit over public welfare, pilfering $68 million in funds intended for those who genuinely need assistance,” remarked Ricky J. Patel, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations for New York State ICE.
He stated that their guilty pleas made it clear that they were aware of their misconduct, ultimately deceiving the system and putting vulnerable populations at risk.
Antao is set to be sentenced on May 20, while Wassef will learn their fate on May 27. Each faces a maximum of up to 10 years in prison, according to federal authorities.
