Dix Hills Man Charged With Defrauding Medicaid

A Dix Hills resident is one of six men arrested in connection with a scheme that defrauded Medicaid of $16 million over a four year period, the New York State Attorney General’s office said.

Raheel Pervez, 39, was charged with one count of Enterprise Corruption, first degree Grand Larceny, three counts of first degree Offering False Instruments for Filing and fourth degree Conspiracy. He, along with three others, were arrested and arraigned in Bronx Supreme Court.

According to Attorney General Eric T. Schneiderman, those involved in the scam would pay HIV patients to not fill prescriptions for medication, and then bill Medicaid for the unfilled prescriptions. Many of those suffering from HIV were located in the Bronx.

An indictment unsealed in Bronx Supreme Court on Wednesday charges Mujahid “Peter” Pervez and Richard Cedeno with Enterprise Corruption and Grand Larceny.

Authorities said Mujahid Pervez illegally operated as many as 11 pharmacies in New York City and Long Island. Cedeno is cited by the attorney general as the top prescribing physician assistant in New York State for highly addictive Class II narcotic drugs.

Schneiderman said that between January 2009 and April 2012, Pervez’s criminal enterprise, which was structured to systematically defraud Medicaid, victimized hundreds of Medicaid recipients, the majority of which were HIV patients.

Authorities said Mujahid Pervez owned and controlled pharmacies through his son, Raheel, who is charged with falsifying most of the paperwork required to operate pharmacies.

Raheel Pervez who, in multiple instances falsely claimed to own and manage the indicted pharmacies, failed to disclose his father’s involvement to state officials, despite being required to do so by law, the attorney general’s office said.

Mujahid Pervez has fled to his native Pakistan and law enforcement authorities said they are seeking his extradition back to the United States.