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The owner of a medical transport company was sentenced to serve 3 to 9 years in prison for stealing more than $700,000 from New York State's Medicaid program and New York State's unemployment insurance program

On July 11, 2025, New York State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli, Schenectady County District Attorney Robert M. Carney, and Schenectady County Sheriff Dominic Dagostino announced that the owner of a Schenectady County medical transportation company was sentenced to serve three to nine years in state prison and pay restitution of $766,600 for stealing  from New York state’s Medicaid program and more than $60,000 from the state’s unemployment insurance program.

Muhammad Adnan Saeed, 40, owner of Sublime Medical Transportation, pleaded guilty to grand larceny in the second degree in January in connection with his Medicaid fraud and unemployment scheme. 

"Muhammad Saeed systematically defrauded the Medicaid program by fraudulently inflating claims in order to pad his wallet and then compounded his crimes by lying about his income in order to obtain unemployment benefits,” DiNapoli said. “The Medicaid program provides access to essential health care for millions of people, and my office will continue to partner with law enforcement to root out waste, fraud and abuse. I thank District Attorney Carney and Schenectady County Sheriff Dagostino for their partnership in bringing Saeed to justice.” 

“It is true that there is waste, fraud and abuse in the Medicaid system when it comes to providing transportation to recipients of benefits in the opioid treatment program,” Carney said. “This defendant engaged in elaborate schemes to steal public funds including inventing non-existing trips, providing kickbacks to clients to ride with him, and pretending to need unemployment benefits. I agree strongly with Comptroller DiNapoli that this conduct deserves criminal prosecution and incarceration, and I am happy to partner with him not only to bring that about in this case, but hopefully to deter others who may be contemplating engaging in similar fraud.

Under Medicaid regulations, patients may use transportation services for legitimate appointments, which are then billed to the Medicaid program by the transportation provider. Group rides are not allowed without prior authorization, and when approved, providers can only bill for mileage once for the group. Sublime was enrolled in the Medicaid program as a participating transportation provider for program beneficiaries. 

The joint investigation revealed that Saeed fraudulently billed the Medicaid program for over four years, claiming payment for individual rides which were actually unauthorized group rides. Investigators determined that nearly 85% of Sublime’s Medicaid claims were fraudulent.

The investigation also found Saeed paid kickbacks to Medicaid enrollees to use Sublime’s services and facilitate the crime. Saeed, who earned $88,500 as a driver for his company, also applied for and unlawfully collected state unemployment insurance benefits in excess of $60,000, while at the same time running Sublime. 

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Since taking office in 2007, DiNapoli has committed to fighting public corruption and encourages the public to help fight fraud and abuse. New Yorkers can report allegations of fraud involving taxpayer money by calling the toll-free Fraud Hotline at 1-888-672-4555, by mailing a complaint to: Office of the State Comptroller, Division of Investigations, 8th Floor, 110 State St., Albany, NY 12236, or by filing a complaint online at https://www.osc.state.ny.us/investigations.

Civil Rights for All: The New York State Human Rights Law Turns 80 -- A Tribute to New York State’s Legacy in Advancing Human Rights

 

State Capitol Exhibit Highlights Historic Contributions and Ongoing Role of the New York State Division of Human Rights in Defending New Yorkers Against Discrimination On July 10, 2025, the New York State Division of Human Rights and the New York State Office of General Services announced the opening of an exhibit in the State Capitol to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the New York State Human Rights Law. The exhibit, entitled “Civil Rights for All: The New York State Human Rights Law Turns 80,” explores pivotal moments that have positioned New York State at the forefront of protecting individuals from discrimination under what has become one of the most comprehensive human rights laws in the country.  The exhibit can be viewed on the second floor of the State Capitol in the Governor’s Reception Room. Admission is free and will remain open to the public from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on weekdays through September 1st.  “Since 1945, we’ve defended every New Yorker’s right to belong. As the nation’s first state agency dedicated to the protection and furtherance of human rights, we’ve set the standard for fairness and equity, from workplaces to homes and communities. And today, we continue to uphold our commitment of creating a New York where everyone feels at home,” New York State Division of Human Rights Commissioner Denise M. Miranda, Esq. said. “I encourage everyone to visit the State Capitol this summer to celebrate the people and milestones that shaped the oldest statewide anti-discrimination law in the country, and one of the most expansive sets of civil rights protections anywhere in the United States.”  New York State Office of General Services Commissioner Jeanette Moy said, "New York State is home to many of our nation’s firsts, and enacting the Human Rights Law that laid the groundwork for future civil rights protections is one of them. Team OGS is proud to join forces with DHR in marking this critical moment of our state’s history by co-developing the ‘Civil Rights for All: The New York State Human Rights Law Turns 80’ exhibition. I invite everyone to stop at the New York State Capitol to visit this exhibit. There is no better way to celebrate the 80th anniversary than by learning about our state’s Human Rights Law and the individuals and events leading to the Law's expansion.”  “Civil Rights for All: The New York State Human Rights Law Turns 80” traces the history of New York State’s trailblazing and nation-leading protections of human rights. The exhibit highlights key milestones of New York’s progress in expanding human rights protections, beginning with the groundbreaking legislation in 1945 that made New York the first state to enact an anti-discrimination law and continuing up to the present day.  Some of these landmark moments include the 1950s expansion of the law to prohibit discrimination in housing and places open to the public, like hotels, restaurants, movie theaters, and hospitals; the 1974 expansion of the law to prohibit discrimination against people with disabilities—nearly two decades ahead of the federal Americans with Disabilities Act; the 1980s handling some of the nation’s earliest cases of discrimination against people diagnosed with AIDS; the 2003 expansion of the law making it illegal to discriminate against people based on their sexual orientation; the 2019 strengthening of workplace sexual harassment protections; and the 2023 expansion of the law increasing the statute of limitations for all discrimination claims from one year to three years.   Marking the 80th anniversary of the New York State Human Rights Law and the creation of the Division of Human Rights, the exhibit also highlights the Division’s instrumental role in enforcing these protections. The Division’s role has been significantly strengthened by Governor Hochul’s historic investments in the Division, doubling the agency’s budget and enabling the Division to expand its staff and improve every aspect of its operations and services.  Since Governor Hochul appointed Commissioner Miranda to lead the agency in March 2024, the Commissioner has increased staffing by more than 50 percent; launched an overhaul of the Division’s complaint intake process; established critical new internal and performance analytics units; and expanded public education and outreach initiatives. These key investments and initiatives continue to make the Division stronger and more prepared to meet present-day challenges in the fight for civil and human rights.   About the New York State Division of Human Rights The New York State Division of Human Rights is dedicated to eliminating discrimination, remedying injustice, and promoting equal opportunity, access, and dignity. Anyone who believes they have experienced discrimination can report it to the Division. If it is under the Division’s authority and jurisdiction, Division staff will investigate and adjudicate the case. Throughout this process, the Division is a neutral fact finder representing the interests of the State, not functioning as an advocate or attorney on behalf of either complainants or respondents. All of the Division’s procedures are conducted free of charge, and members of the public are not required to have an attorney to file a complaint. The Division’s work shows that New York State will make violators of the law pay. During the Division’s 2024 Fiscal Year, the agency awarded more than $8 million in compensation to complainants who experienced discrimination. The Division can also order a wide range of additional remedies—including reinstatement to a job, back pay with interest and benefits, changes in organizational policies, and a variety of other forms of compensation and remediation. The Division of Human Rights is also empowered by law to investigate and file complaints in cases of systematic discrimination through its Division Initiated Action Unit (DIAU). The DIAU can, upon its own motion, initiate investigations and file complaints alleging violations of the state anti-discrimination law. Individuals can report systemic issues of discrimination by emailing the Division at tips@dhr.ny.gov. Copyright © 2025 New York State. All rights reserved. Our Privacy Policy