PULSE POINTS
WHAT HAPPENED: Federal prosecutors in Chicago, Illinois, uncovered schemes involving foreign nationals exploiting U.S. Medicare and supplemental insurance systems, filing over $1 billion in fraudulent claims.
WHO WAS INVOLVED: Nationals of Kazakhstan and Pakistan are accused, including Anuar Abdrakhmanov and Tair Smagul, as well as two unnamed Pakistani nationals.
WHEN & WHERE: Fraudulent activities spanned multiple states, with cases tied to Kentucky, Connecticut, and other locations. Key events occurred between 2023 and 2024.
KEY QUOTE: “Medicare received tens of thousands of beneficiary complaints tied to the fraudulent billing.” – Federal prosecutors
IMPACT: The schemes resulted in hundreds of millions in false claims, with supplemental insurers paying at least $450,000, and exposed vulnerabilities in Medicare’s billing systems.
IN FULL
Federal prosecutors in Chicago have exposed massive Medicare fraud schemes involving foreign nationals, with more than $1 billion in fraudulent claims filed for medical equipment and diagnostic tests. Investigators say many of the items were never delivered, authorized, or requested by patients or doctors. Court filings show that nationals from Kazakhstan and Pakistan took control of seemingly legitimate medical supply companies and used stolen patient information to submit fake prescriptions and bills. Authorities say the perpetrators tried to funnel the proceeds overseas before being stopped.
One of the largest operations involved Kazakh national Anuar Abdrakhmanov, who allegedly submitted $666 million in Medicare claims in just five months through Priority One Medical Equipment. Investigators found that the company’s listed office in Kentucky was mostly empty, with employees forwarding mail to a supervisor they had never met.
Another case centers on Kazakh national Tair Smagul, accused of laundering proceeds from roughly $953 million in fraudulent claims. Medicare received more than 27,000 complaints from beneficiaries tied to Smagul’s operation in Connecticut, with doctors and patients denying any involvement in the billed services.
Two Pakistani nationals are also accused of running schemes using stolen Medicare data to submit false claims through shell companies with names such as Snazzy Sprocket and Peculiar Penguin.
Officials say these cases highlight the growing scope of Medicare fraud, which federal authorities believe may involve billions more in undiscovered false claims.
These prosecutions come amid a broader wave of fraud cases involving migrants. In Minnesota, investigators uncovered what federal authorities describe as one of the largest welfare fraud scandals in U.S. history, involving false claims for child nutrition, housing stabilization, and autism services. More than 78 people have been indicted, and hundreds of millions of dollars were reportedly stolen.
In Washington, D.C., Ruby Corado, a transgender migrant activist and founder of the now‑defunct nonprofit Casa Ruby, was recently sentenced to 33 months in prison for diverting federal COVID‑19 relief funds. Court filings show Corado stole more than $950,000, transferred at least $150,000 overseas, and was ordered to repay $956,215 in restitution.
Other reported migrant-linked fraud includes a $7 million SNAP scheme allegedly run by a Haitian immigrant duo, who submitted false claims using fabricated identities to obtain Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits.
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The post Migrants Charged in Billion-Dollar Medicare Fraud Scheme. appeared first on The National Pulse.
