Justice · Thursday, October 8, 2026
Queens pharmacy owner charged with a $31 million HIV-drug scheme
The File desk · Oct 8, 2026, 10:44 AM UTC
Status
Confirmed as an arrest and an indictment announced by the New York attorney general on Oct. 7, 2026. An indictment is an accusation. Miguel Baron is presumed innocent.
- Confirmed
Attorney General Letitia James says Baron took more than $31 million from Medicaid and the state's AIDS Drug Assistance Program from 2023 to April 2026.
- Confirmed
The charges are unproven. A Queens grand jury indictment is the charging document the office announced.
New York prosecutors say Miguel Baron, 62, of Yonkers, used two Jackson Heights pharmacies to pay Medicaid patients with HIV $150 to $250 in cash to fill prescriptions there. Sometimes the pharmacies bought the medicines back for a few hundred dollars and resold them, billing the state again. Other drugs were from the black market. Attorney General Letitia James says he took more than $31 million from Medicaid and the state's AIDS Drug Assistance Program from 2023 to April 2026. She says he spent it on Miami condos, luxury cars, and World Cup tickets. An indictment is an accusation. He is presumed innocent.
A Queens County grand jury indicted him on two counts of grand larceny in the first degree, sixteen counts of health care fraud, two counts of illegal kickbacks, and four counts of money laundering. The top count carries 8⅓ to 25 years. The attorney general also filed a civil forfeiture case seeking more than $95 million.
The pharmacies are Guardiola Pharmacy and Baron Specialty Pharmacy. The kickback counts are under the , which the release names without a section number. That law bars paying Medicaid patients to choose a pharmacy or a service.
What is still unknown or disputed
- What happened at arraignment.
- Whether he has a defense lawyer on the record.
- Bail.
Primary sources
Every claim in this story is drawn from the documents below. If a fetch failed, that is recorded on the card.
Source 1
Attorney General James Announces Arrest and Indictment of Queens Pharmacy Owner for Stealing More Than $31 Million
New York State Office of the Attorney General · October 7, 2026
Baron and his co-conspirators allegedly encouraged Medicaid recipients to fill their prescriptions at his pharmacies by paying them cash kickbacks, often between $150 and $250.
https://ag.ny.gov/press-release/2026/attorney-general-james-announces-arrest-and-indictment-queens-pharmacy-owner