An indictment was filed in federal court in Central Islip on July 2 charging Saad Aziz and Zabed Chowdhury, also known as “Jared,” with conspiracy to commit health care fraud, health care fraud, conspiracy to defraud the United States and pay health care kickbacks, paying health care kickbacks, and money laundering conspiracy. The charges allege that the defendants offered and paid health care kickbacks and submitted fraudulent claims to Medicaid for ambulette services that were either not performed or artificially inflated in cost. Aziz and Chowdhury were previously charged by complaint and will be arraigned at a later date.
Joseph Nocella, Jr., United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York; Naomi Gruchacz, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General; Harry T. Chavis, Jr., Special Agent in Charge of Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation New York; and Raymond A. Tierney, Suffolk County District Attorney, announced the charges.
“As alleged, the defendants turned a transportation program intended to provide vulnerable Medicaid beneficiaries with access to critical medical care into a vehicle for personal enrichment,” said United States Attorney Nocella. “By paying illegal kickbacks, billing for rides that were never provided, and inflating reimbursement claims through false information, they allegedly stole tens of millions of taxpayer dollars. It is a priority of the Office and the Administration to protect the integrity of federally funded health care programs and to hold accountable those who seek to profit through fraud.”
According to court filings, Aziz and Chowdhury owned Tri-Hamlet Taxi Inc. From approximately January 2019 through October 2025, they allegedly paid illegal healthcare kickbacks to Medicaid beneficiaries so those individuals would request medical transportation services from Tri-Hamlet Taxi—primarily for supposed methadone treatment appointments—and then billed Medicaid for trips not actually provided or overstated their costs by directing beneficiaries to request longer rides using false pickup or drop-off addresses. Through this scheme, they submitted more than $18 million in claims for rides exceeding 75 miles each way; overall they are accused of billing Medicaid more than $35 million.
The indictment alleges that proceeds from these activities were used by Aziz and Chowdhury to fund their lifestyles, including purchasing multiple investment properties valued at approximately $6 million combined.
If convicted on all counts, each defendant faces up to 20 years imprisonment as well as restitution payments totaling at least $35 million—including several real properties—and forfeiture involving 15 bank accounts.