NY medical transport companies charged in multimillion-dollar fraud case

The Essex County courthouse held eight arraignments Wednesday for the people arrested in a multimillion-dollar fraud investigation.

Upstate Taxi and Adirondack Taxi were two of the 10 companies under watch.

Judge Richard Meyers allowed a camera in the courtroom but asked we not show the defendants or the interpreter.

Allegations against the 12 arrested include billing Medicaid trips that never occurred, bribing Medicaid recipients with kickbacks, failing to provide Workers' Compensation insurance and falsifying business documents.

"Nonetheless, I would like to remind the court that this is an accusation this is not a conviction," attorney Jeff Ferguson said.

The feds say the New York Health Department paid four of the companies a total of $7.3 million over two years to cover fraudulent costs

All eight people in court Wednesday pleaded not guilty, asking for bail to be lowered and for a pretrial release.

"The purpose of bail is to secure the defendants return to court; it’s also to alleviate any threat to the community. There is nothing in these charges that indicate that the defendant is a physical threat to the community,” said Ferguson.

Inspector General Leahy Scott spearheaded the investigation. She said, in part, "For years the Northway Corridor has been plagued with corruption in the medical transport industry and this week law enforcement sent a clear message that those who abuse Medicaid and workers compensation systems for illicit gains will be relentlessly pursued and prosecuted."

Of the 12 arrested, five will be charged on a federal level in Plattsburgh on Thursday.

Those arrested include:

-Khurram Gondal, 37, of Ticonderoga, an owner of Four-Way Taxi Inc., Green Mountain Medical Transportation Inc. (DBA Green Mountain Taxi), Capital Cab Corporation, and All NY Taxi & Limo Inc.

-Waqas Nauman, 36, of Queensbury, an owner of Green Mountain Medical Transportation Inc. (DBA Green Mountain Taxi).

-Muhammad N. Jahangir, 23, of Queensbury, an owner of Capital Cab Corporation.

-Samone Marshall, 27, of Ticonderoga, an owner of All NY Taxi & Limo Inc.

-Sana Ullah Chaddher (also known as Sana Ullah), 55, of Ticonderoga, an owner of Chaddher Imports, Inc. (DBA Adirondack Taxi & Limo).

-Quaiser Gondal, 46, of Ticonderoga, an owner of Ti Taxi Inc.

-Saleem Hayat, 34, of Port Henry, an owner of Moriah Cab Service., Inc

-Maryam Qaiser, 41, of Ticonderoga, an owner of Advantage Medical Transport, Inc.

-Chaudary Kahn, 54, of Keeseville, an owner of I-87 Transporters (DBA A-1 Taxi).

-Khalid Chaddher, 48, of Ticonderoga, an owner of Chaddher Imports, Inc. (DBA Adirondack Taxi & Limo).

-Anthony Armstrong, 29, of Port Henry, manager of Ti Taxi Inc.

-Tukk Simpson, 48, of Crown Point, an owner of Tukk Simpson DBA Crown Point Cab.