Two New York medical transportation companies billed Medicaid for rides to appointments that never happened and claimed separate trips when multiple patients actually traveled together. The fraudulent billing generated $3,434,730 in payments the businesses were not entitled to receive.
Rohail Raja, 45, of New Windsor, was sentenced to six to 18 years in state prison on October 27, 2026, following his guilty plea to first-degree grand larceny. The New York State Comptroller’s Office announced the sentence alongside Orange County District Attorney David Hoovler.
Raja’s wife, Sharma Alam, 45, received six months of incarceration and five years of probation for fourth-degree conspiracy. Both had pleaded guilty in May, along with the two companies they operated.
The couple paid $400,000 toward restitution at sentencing and were ordered to repay the remaining $3,034,730. Hoovler described the prosecution as the largest Medicaid fraud scheme ever handled by the Orange County District Attorney’s Office.
Auditors Found Medicaid Claims for Appointments That Never Happened
The fraudulent claims were submitted between April 15, 2020, and September 30, 2024. Raja and Alam controlled two companies authorized to transport Medicaid recipients to approved medical providers, with the New York State Department of Health reimbursing the businesses for eligible trips.
Investigators compared transportation claims against appointment records maintained by the health care providers named in the submissions. A forensic auditor from the State Comptroller’s Office found that Medicaid had paid for trips to providers on dates and at times when their records showed no corresponding medical visits.
The companies also billed for individual rides when multiple Medicaid recipients had actually traveled together in a single vehicle. By representing those shared journeys as separate trips, the businesses obtained additional reimbursements that did not reflect the transportation provided.
During the earlier investigation, authorities also executed a search warrant at the couple’s New Windsor residence. Investigators from the Orange County District Attorney’s Office and Sheriff’s Office conducted the search, accompanied by State Comptroller’s investigators.
Both Transportation Companies Admitted Their Roles in the Theft
Raja owned Unique Class Limo Inc. and served as a senior manager of SNR Limo Inc., which belonged to Alam. At their May 14, 2026, plea hearing, both corporations appeared through attorneys and admitted grand larceny offenses.
Unique Class pleaded guilty to first-degree grand larceny and admitted stealing $2,666,634 through false Medicaid claims submitted at Raja’s direction. SNR pleaded guilty to second-degree grand larceny and admitted stealing $768,096 while Raja exercised managerial authority over its operations.
The Orange County District Attorney’s Office said Alam admitted agreeing to participate in the scheme and filing a false attestation that helped advance the theft. The couple acknowledged the combined $3,434,730 loss when entering their guilty pleas.
The original November 2025 indictment announcement also named company manager Ari Manojkumar, then 33, of Highland, New York. Prosecutors accused him of delivering cash to Medicaid recipients, arranging for drivers to distribute cash and assisting with fraudulent billing submissions.
Prosecutors Offered a Lower Sentence Recommendation for $1 Million Paid Before Sentencing
Under their May plea agreements, prosecutors said they would recommend a four-to-12-year prison term for Raja if the couple paid at least $1 million toward restitution before sentencing. Their $400,000 payment at the October 27 sentencing fell short of that threshold.
The corporations were also subject to restitution orders based on the amounts each admitted stealing, and officials said the businesses were fined $5,000.
How to Report Medicaid Transportation Charges That Do Not Match Your Trips
New York Medicaid recipients who discover claims for transportation they never received, or find inaccurate billing information associated with their medical appointments, can report suspected fraud through the Office of the Medicaid Inspector General’s online reporting form. The agency also operates a fraud hotline at 1-877-873-7283 and accepts anonymous complaints.
Patients can preserve appointment confirmations, transportation receipts, messages from ride providers and any available benefit or claim information when reporting discrepancies. Records showing when a medical visit occurred, whether transportation was provided and whether other passengers shared the trip can help investigators examine suspicious billing.