A crooked Queens pharmacist reportedly ran a $31 million Medicaid buyback scheme — pocketing millions off black-market HIV drugs to fund a lavish lifestyle, prosecutors said Thursday.
uncertain
prosecutors → run → lifestyle
Miguel Baron, 62, operated the massive, multi-year fraud scheme out of his two Jackson Heights storefronts, Guardiola Pharmacy and Baron Specialty Pharmacy, and blew the illegally earned cash on luxury properties and cars and World Cup tickets, according to the New York Attorney General’s Office.
uncertain
Baron → operate → Office
From January 2023 to April 2026, Baron paid cash kickbacks to Medicaid patients who filled their HIV medication prescriptions at his stores in exchange for black market drugs and bought others’ prescriptions for pennies on the dollar before re-billing Medicaid full price, the AG alleged.
asserted
AG → pay → price
Baron was arrested at LaGuardia Airport, where he was trying to flee the country, and charged with grand larceny, health care fraud, money laundering and prohibited practices by a medical assistance provider.
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he → arrest → provider
“Taking advantage of vulnerable New Yorkers to steal tens of millions of dollars from Medicaid is despicable,” Attorney General Letitia James said in a statement.
asserted
James → take → statement
“Pharmacy owners who exploit patients with medication buyback schemes are putting New Yorkers’ health at serious risk,” James warned.
asserted
James → exploit → risk
With his $31 million in winnings, Baron, alongside his partner pharmacist Hamid Hosseinipour, purchased luxury homes in Miami, pre-construction waterfront condominiums, and high-end real estate developments in Queens.
asserted
Baron → purchase → Queens
Patients brought their HIV prescriptions to the shops, where drivers or store staff handed them $150 to $200 cash kickbacks in envelopes.
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drivers → bring → envelopes
The pharmacies then bought back the patients’ unopened medication for about $400.
asserted
pharmacies → buy → 400
Workers then used lighter fluid to strip the labels off the bottles before repeatedly re-dispensing the recycled pills and fraudulently billing Medicaid full price every time, according to authorities.
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Workers → use → authorities
Some HIV medications, like Biktarvy, can cost pharmacies up to $150 per pill, according to court documents, resulting in enormous profits.
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medications → cost → profits
Taxpayer-funded programs like Medicaid and AIDS Drug Assistance Program reimbursed the pharmacies at sky-high rates of $4,000 to $4,500 for 30-day bottles of antivirals like Biktarvy, Discovy, Prezcobix and Truvada.
asserted
programs → fund → Biktarvy
Cops finally nabbed Baron at LaGuardia Airport as he tried to board a one-way flight out of the country carrying multiple passports and a wad of cash, officials said.
asserted
officials → nab → cash
Before his arrest, law enforcement raided Baron’s pharmacies on March 12, and right afterward, Baron began rapidly draining his business accounts — even writing a $20,000 check from a pharmacy account to one of his delivery drivers, labeling the memo “severance pay + previous balance,” according to court documents.
uncertain
Baron → raid → documents
He also transferred over $261,000 from one of his co-conspirators, his accountant, Alexander Martinez, for a “final bonus payment,” and wrote multiple checks from the pharmacy account to prepay his accountant 2028, 2029, 2030 and 2031 “tax filing payments.”
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He → transfer → payments
On top of the criminal allegations, the attorney general’s office filed a civil asset forfeiture action to seize and place liens on assets and property Baron purchased with the proceeds of his alleged crimes.
asserted
Baron → file → crimes
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