2 Suffolk men posed as medical technicians, fraudulently billed $1M to Medicare, Medicaid, Queens DA says

Two Suffolk men have been charged with posing as medical technicians in Queens to bill more than $1 million in fraudulent Medicare and Medicaid charges, authorities said.

Jamil Siddiqui, 52, of Dix Hills, and Hassan Oufqir, 64, of East Northport, were arraigned this week before Queens Criminal Court Judge David Hawkins, each charged with first-degree insurance fraud, first-degree health care fraud, unauthorized practice of a profession and first-degree falsifying of business records, Queens District Attorney Richard A. Brown said Tuesday.

Each was released on his own recognizance and ordered to return to court Dec. 8.

Both Siddiqui and Oufqir face up to 25 years in prison if convicted, Brown said.

According to the criminal complaint, Siddiqui and Oufqir posed as medical technicians at Elmhurst Medical Diagnostics, at 90-18 Elmhurst Ave. in Jackson Heights, and at Rajen Maniar Cardiology PC, at 164-03 Hillside Ave., Jamaica.

Neither was licensed or registered to practice medicine or act as a medical technician in New York State, the complaint asserts. And, Brown said, the tests that the two billed for were not performed under the supervision of a licensed medical technician -- as required by both Medicare and Medicaid.

As a result, Brown said, the two men "are alleged to have fraudulently received in excess of $1 million" from Medicare and Medicaid between May 2013 and May 2014.

It was not immediately clear how the scam was uncovered.

In a statement released Tuesday, Brown said: "Claims like those allegedly filed in this case take money out of the pockets of all Americans."

By John Valenti

john.valenti@newsday.com

John Valenti, a reporter at Newsday since 1981, has been honored nationally by the Associated Press and Society of the Silurians for investigative, enterprise and breaking news reporting, as well as column writing, and is the author of “Swee'pea,” a book about former New York playground basketball star Lloyd Daniels. Valenti is featured in the Emmy Award-winning ESPN 30-for-30 film “Big Shot.”