Nassau Pharmacist Accused Of Health Care Fraud In Crackdown

HICKSVILLE, NY — A licensed pharmacist from Hicksville was among numerous people swept up in a crackdown on health care fraud, prosecutors said Wednesday.

Nisha Diler was charged in Brooklyn federal court with conspiring to commit health care fraud and subscribing a false tax return. She pleaded guilty to the information Sept. 16.

Diler held herself out as the supervising pharmacist at New Moon Pharmacy in Queens as part of the scheme, prosecutors said. She did not work at the pharmacy and received kickbacks from the pharmacy owner, authorities said. Diler then under-reported the income on her taxes.

Between 2016 and 2019, Medicare and Medicaid reimbursed the pharmacy about $3 million for pharmaceutical claims. New Moon dispensed prescription drugs — including large amounts of Oxycodone — when the pharmacy did not employ a full-time licensed pharmacist, prosecutors said. The pharmacy paid Diler even though she visited sporadically.

Harris Hussnain, owner of New Moon Pharmacy, was accused of conspiring to commit health care fraud, distributing narcotics and unlawful financial transactions. Hussnain pleaded guilty to the information Tuesday.

"Both Diler and Hussnain are guilty of conspiring to participate in this broad scheme to steal from the United States taxpayers through both Medicare and Tax Fraud," Jonathan Larsen, special agent-in-charge at the IRS' criminal investigation division, said in a news release.

Two doctors, two licensed physical therapists, a licensed clinical social worker, a pharmacist and four pharmacy owners and operators, were charged for their roles in the various schemes that bilked billed the Medicare and Medicaid programs for over $15 million.

The other people charged in the sweep include:

• Vladimir Geykhman, 43, of Brooklyn
• Mahmoud Elsanaa, 36, of Wayne, New Jersey
• Olga, Popovych, 37, of Brooklyn
• Mazen Abdel Magid, 37, of Brooklyn
• Dr. Anand Kalepu, 70, of Cleveland, Ohio
• Dr. Dalmacio Francisco, 75, of Queens
• Michael Othman,48, of Queens
• Xuan Di Huang, 59, of Queens
• Gorgi Naumovski, 52, of DuQuoin, Illinois
• Aleah "Abby" Mohammed, 35, of Queens
• Aripha Mohammed, 33, of Queens
• Shejer El Maliki, also known as "Shaggy" 33, of Queens