Two Individuals Plead Guilty to $68 Million Fraud Scheme at Brooklyn-Based Adult Day Cares and Home Health Care Company

BROOKLYN, NY - Earlier today, in federal court in Brooklyn, Elaine Antao and Manal Wasef pleaded guilty to conspiring to defraud Medicaid by paying health care kickbacks for services that were not provided at two Brooklyn social adult day cares and a home health care company. Today's proceeding was held before United States District Judge Natasha C. Merle. When sentenced, the defendants each face a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison.

Joseph Nocella, Jr., United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York; A. Tysen Duva, Assistant Attorney General and head of the Justice Department's Criminal Division; Naomi Gruchacz, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of the Inspector General (HHS-OIG); Ricky J Patel, Special Agent in Charge, Homeland Security Investigations, New York (HSI-New York); and Jessica S. Tisch, Commissioner, New York City Police Department (NYPD), announced the guilty pleas.

"As demonstrated by today's guilty pleas, our Office will hold accountable corrupt individuals who steer patients to health care providers in exchange for illicit kickbacks," stated United States Attorney Nocella. "We will continue to investigate and aggressively prosecute fraud schemes that steal from taxpayer funds from federal health care programs."

"The defendants were large-scale recruiters who bribed patients with laundered cash and billed Medicaid over $68 million for services that were not provided," stated Assistant Attorney General Duva. "Today's guilty pleas demonstrate the Department's longstanding commitment to rooting out fraud in government health care programs by aggressively prosecuting those who steal from taxpayer-funded programs."

"These defendants orchestrated an egregious scheme involving illegal kickbacks to steer Medicaid claims and to receive payment for services not rendered. Extensive fraudulent operations like this jeopardize the availability of federal health care program funds intended to support millions of beneficiaries," stated HHS-OIG Special Agent in Charge Gruchacz. "HHS-OIG is committed to working with our law enforcement partners to bring to justice those who prioritize greed over patient care."

"These defendants placed profit over people and public well-being and stole $68 million in welfare funds meant for those who need it most," stated HSI Special Agent in Charge Patel. "Their guilty pleas today reflect that they knew exactly what crimes they were committing - they were cheating the system and, in turn, hurting vulnerable Americans. I commend HSI New York and our law enforcement partners for their unrelenting focus on dismantling and disrupting financial fraud schemes that exploit the American public and hurt our economy."

According to court documents, Antao and Wasef were marketers and recruiters for two social adult day cares: Happy Family Social Adult Day Care Center Inc. and Family Social Adult Day Care Center Inc., located in Brooklyn, as well as Responsible Care Staffing Inc., a home health care fiscal intermediary. Between approximately October 2017 and July 2024, Wasef and Antao referred Medicaid recipients to the social adult day cares and the home health company in exchange for illegal kickbacks and bribes. They also paid illegal kickbacks and bribes to Medicaid recipients for social adult day care services and home health care services that were billed to Medicaid but were not provided or that were induced by kickbacks and bribes. Wasef and Antao used multiple business entities to launder the fraud proceeds and generate the cash used to pay kickbacks and bribes. As part of their plea agreements, Wasef and Antao agreed to collectively forfeit approximately $1 million. Wasef and Antao are the sixth and seventh individuals to plead guilty in this case.

Trial Attorneys Patrick J. Campbell and Leonid Sandlar of the Criminal Division's Fraud Section are prosecuting the case with Assistant United States Attorney Michael Castiglione of the Eastern District of New York's Asset Forfeiture Section who is handling forfeiture matters.

The Defendants:

ELAINE ANTAO
Age: 46
Brooklyn, New York

MANAL WASEF
Age: 46
Brooklyn, New York

Defendants Who Previously Pleaded Guilty:

HASHMI, AMRAN
Age: 55
Brooklyn, New York

HELMY, JOSEPH
Age: 50
Brooklyn, New York

ISMAIL, AMAL
Age: 59
Brooklyn, New York

KHAN, ZAKIA
Age: 54
Brooklyn, New York

MEMON, SEEMA
Age: 31
Brooklyn, New York

E.D.N.Y. Docket No. 24-CR-409 (NCM)