4 THE QUEENS COURIER • MARCH 9, 2017 FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT WWW.QNS.COM Photo via Shutterstock Bayside doc pinched in $50M scam BY SUZANNE MONTEVERDI [email protected] @smont76 A Bayside cardiologist is among six defendants allegedly involved in a massive health care fraud scheme in which the suspects swindled more than $50 million in fraudulent claims over a span of 12 years, prosecutors announced. Asim Hameedi, president and owner of City Medical Associates (CMA), located at 213-14 Union Tpke. in the neighborhood of Oakland Gardens, was arrested on March 1 along with four others — including his nephew, Fawad Hameedi — on a series of charges including fraud. Th e sixth defendant, Asim Hameedi’s brother, Arif Hameedi, is outside of the United States and has not yet been arrested. Th e 46-year-old Asim Hameedi — along with others employed by CMA and Emad Soliman, a neurologist practicing in Westchester — is alleged to have defrauded Medicaid, Medicare and other private health insurance companies out of more than $50 million by submitting fraudulent claims, illegally accessing electronic patient health records from a Long Island hospital, and other means. He and the fi ve other defendants face criminal charges including health care fraud, identity theft and making false statements. Two of the nine charges Hameedi faces have a maximum penalty of 20 years each. Prosecutors also fi led a civil fraud lawsuit against Hameedi’s business, City Medical Associates, and will seek treble damages and civil penalties under the False Claims Act. Photo by Suzanne Monteverdi/QNS LIRR starts cleaning up Bayside work site BY SUZANNE MONTEVERDI [email protected]/@smont76 Th e Long Island Rail Road (LIRR) has initiated a “major cleanup” of the controversial Whitestone helps local girl battling leukemia BY SUZANNE MONTEVERDI [email protected] @smont76 Chloe Mitchell, a fi rst-grade student at P.S. 193, was diagnosed with leukemia just last week, and now the Whitestone community is mobilizing to help the girl and her family. “Chloe was a normal fi rst grader, running around with her friends, playing basketball, going to school,” said Erin Mitchell, Chloe’s mother. “Th ursday, March 2, changed all of that.” Mitchell writes that aft er spring break, Chloe came down with a fever and tested negative for the fl u. Aft er not feeling better days later, she and her daughter returned to the doctor. Th at aft ernoon, Chloe was brought to the emergency room and diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia. Days aft er the diagnosis, family friend Tracie McCue Sadloski started an online fundraising campaign to support the family. “Chloe’s mom, Erin, is a single parent and has been by Chloe’s side since the devastating news,” wrote Sadloski. “While her doctors are hopeful that they will eventually be able to cure her, it is going to be a long road.” Th e fundraiser was created on March 4 and is already halfway to its goal, receiving thousands of dollars in online donations. “I am very overwhelmed by the fact that my Chloe is facing this terrible challenge ahead of her,” Mitchell said. “I am equally overwhelmed at the generosity, time, patience and love that we are feeling from our friends, family, neighbors and community. We are so lucky to have such wonderful people in our corner.” Th e We Love Whitestone civic association has also become involved in the eff ort, spreading the word on social media and opening up their post offi ce box as a venue to send donations. It’s not the fi rst time that We Love Whitestone has stepped up for a local child in need. Last month, the group participated in a fundraising campaign for Sofi a Rabello, a sixth-grader at Holy Trinity Catholic Academy who was recently diagnosed with a brain tumor. “It is much too oft en that we fi nd ourselves posting these types of GoFundMe pages,” civic president Alfredo Centola said. “Th ese children do not deserve this. No family should have to go through this. We have come through repeatedly as a community. I once again ask we come together and help this family.” Donations can be made at www.gofundme. com/chloe-and-erin or by sending a check made out to Erin Mitchell to We Love Whitestone, P.O. Box 29, Whitestone, NY 11357. Photo via GoFundMe Chloe Mitchell, a Whitestone resident, was recently diagnosed with leukemia. Bayside work site, community leaders reported on March 6. Christine Haider, chairperson of Community Board 11, said the board has received an update from the LIRR regarding the active work site, located between 216th and 220th streets along the north side of the LIRR Port Washington Branch. Residents who attended the community board’s last meeting spoke out about the quality of life concerns the work site imposed on the community, including diesel fumes emitted from idling trucks, and alleged that the workers at the site were not being good neighbors. “We told the LIRR, it’s just unacceptable what they’re doing,” Haider said. “Th e diesel engines, all of it.” LIRR representative Hector Garcia updated the community board on the situation through a letter that Haider read aloud during the March 6 meeting. “Th e LIRR will begin a major cleanup of the yard and will be ongoing for the next six or seven days,” according to the March 1 letter. A crew will be on-site to remove dead trees, branches and debris, the LIRR spokesperson also said. “Th ere will be some reconfi guration of equipment and materials stored on the site to improve aesthetics,” Garcia wrote. Workers will also paint over graffi ti vandalism at the location. Th e cleanup work will be done using trucks and equipment during the day, Garcia stated. Work will continue on the weekends and the work site will remain until further notice. With no mention of the idling diesel engines in the letter, a board member asked Haider if the advisory body had raised the health concerns of the diesel engines to the LIRR. “Th eir response to that was not what we would liked to have heard,” Haider said. “I will follow up with them on the diesel engines,” Haider continued. “It’s wrong. But we just have to get on top of them, get on top of them, and see what we can do. Th e fumes are no good for you.” Henry Euler said the board’s Environmental Committee will discuss the diesel fumes at its March 22 meeting. “Diesel fumes are really very bad for you, and really very bad for your health,” Euler said. 217th Street along the north side of the rail tracks, where the LIRR has set up a work site.
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