Federal Prosecutors Detail $1 Billion Medicare Fraud Schemes Tied to Foreign Nationals

Federal prosecutors in Chicago have unsealed court filings alleging that foreign nationals exploited Medicare and supplemental insurance programs on a massive scale, submitting more than $1 billion in fraudulent claims for medical equipment and diagnostic tests that were never delivered—and in many cases never authorized by patients or doctors.

According to prosecutors, the schemes involved nationals from Kazakhstan and Pakistan who allegedly took control of American medical suppliers that appeared to be legitimate, used stolen beneficiary data and fabricated prescriptions, and attempted to move proceeds overseas before authorities intervened. The fraud triggered tens of thousands of complaints from Medicare beneficiaries across multiple states, many of whom told investigators they never requested the equipment billed in their names and, in some cases, were not even diagnosed with the conditions the claims purported to treat.

One of the most extensive operations centered on a Kentucky-based supplier, Priority One Medical Equipment. Prosecutors allege that Anuar Abdrakhmanov, a Kazakh national, took control of the company and used it as a shell to submit approximately $666 million in Medicare claims in just five months for glucose monitors and catheters. Abdrakhmanov is charged with conspiracy to commit money laundering.

Court records show Abdrakhmanov entered the United States in May 2023 on a temporary summer work visa that later expired, but he allegedly remained in the country. He became a manager of Priority One in April 2024 after the business changed ownership. Between May and August 2024, Medicare received roughly 250 beneficiary complaints linked to Priority One. Six Illinois beneficiaries listed as receiving diabetic supplies told investigators they never requested or received the equipment and did not have diabetes.

When investigators visited Priority One’s listed office in Kentucky, they found it largely empty. Employees told agents their primary responsibility was forwarding mail—including checks—to a supervisor they had never met, often using the encrypted messaging app Telegram. While Medicare halted payments before most funds were released, prosecutors say supplemental Medigap insurers paid out at least $450,000. Financial records show Abdrakhmanov wired tens of thousands of dollars to foreign accounts and attempted to move additional funds before authorities stepped in.

Prosecutors say the Priority One case reflects a broader pattern. Another indictment accuses Kazakh national Tair Smagul of laundering proceeds from a Connecticut-based supplier that allegedly submitted about 470,000 fraudulent claims totaling roughly $953 million for catheters. Medicare received more than 27,000 beneficiary complaints tied to that company alone. Patients denied receiving supplies, and doctors listed as prescribers told investigators they never ordered the equipment or treated the beneficiaries. Prosecutors allege Smagul withdrew fraud proceeds through ATMs in Illinois, shut down company accounts, and transferred remaining funds into his personal bank account.

A third case charges two Pakistani nationals with operating an offshore fraud network that allegedly used stolen Medicare data to submit false claims for diagnostic testing and medical equipment through U.S.-based shell companies. According to the indictment, fraudulent payments were routed through entities with outlandish names such as Snazzy Sprocket, Peculiar Penguin, and Whimsy Wombat, concealing millions of dollars in improper payouts.

While recent attention has focused on high-profile fraud cases in Minnesota, prosecutors say the Chicago indictments underscore that Medicare fraud is a nationwide and international problem. The cases suggest that billions of dollars in improper claims may still be undetected, highlighting ongoing vulnerabilities in federal healthcare programs and the scale of enforcement challenges facing investigators.

READ NEXT: What $14.6 Billion In Health Care Fraud Reveals About Our Blind Spot On Election Theft

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Seijah Drake

Seijah Drake was born in Boston, MA, where she developed a penchant for writing early on and a passion for politics in college. After college she worked briefly for a conservative media in New York before relocating to the Greater D.C. Area to pursue a career in political marketing. She now resides in the free state of Florida.

1 Comment
    DAV 🎖️

    So many things have finally been ‘discovered’ and realized, including the complicity and leadership of the Demonocrats. What America wants to see is justice administered, not endless ‘investigations’; the wait-it-out game. So many laws broken, ok, DO YOUR JOBS ! America won’t heal, until you do.

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