Medicare Advantage Ripoff: $ 90 Million In 9 Months !!!

Evidently, you don't have to be a rocket scientist to make big money defrauding the American health care system.  You don't even have to be in the U.S. legally:

https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndca/pr/foreign-national-charged-orchestrating-health-care-fraud-scheme-targeting-medicare

Foreign National Charged with Orchestrating Health Care Fraud Scheme Targeting Medicare Advantage Programs
Friday, March 20, 2026
For Immediate Release
U.S. Attorney's Office, Northern District of California

Anar Rustamov’s Company, Dublin Helping Hand, Submitted $90 Million in Bogus Claims

SAN FRANCISCO – United States Attorney Craig H. Missakian announced criminal charges against an individual for perpetrating a large-scale fraud targeting federal health care funds distributed through the Medicare Advantage program. Anar Rustamov, a national of Azerbaijan who appears to have entered the United States illegally, was indicted yesterday by a federal grand jury and charged with health care fraud for a scheme involving thousands of false claims for medical equipment totaling more than $90 million.

According to the indictment, Rustamov, 38, formerly of Sunnyvale, California and a national of Azerbaijan, was part of a scheme to submit thousands of fraudulent claims to Medicare Advantage Organizations (“MAOs”) on behalf of unsuspecting beneficiaries for medical equipment such as blood glucose monitors and orthotic braces. The indictment alleges that Rustamov, from October 2024 through June 2025, executed a scheme through an entity Rustamov created, Dublin Helping Hand, to submit large volumes of claims to MAOs offering Medicare Part C benefit plans. The indictment alleges the scheme sought reimbursement of more than $90 million for medical equipment that was not provided, not needed by patients, and not authorized by a medical provider. The listed patients were unaware that Rustamov and others were submitting the claims, and the referring medical provider listed on the submissions did not authorize the claims, according to the indictment. The defendant is at large.

“When the Administration declared a War on Fraud, it meant to target exactly this kind of conduct. Rustamov participated in a scheme to steal nearly $100 million in taxpayer funds from a program intended to help those who truly need medical care,” said United States Attorney Craig H. Missakian. “Anyone who believes they can make easy money by defrauding such programs should know that we will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to identify, investigate, and prosecute such fraud and abuse.”

“This case alleges a calculated scheme to exploit a critical health care program for personal gain, attempting to siphon tens of millions of dollars through thousands of fraudulent claims for medical equipment. Programs like Medicare Advantage are funded by American taxpayers and exist to provide essential care to those who need it most — not to be manipulated for profit,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Matt Cobo. “The FBI and our partners will continue to aggressively pursue individuals who attempt to defraud these vital programs and hold them accountable.”

“The criminal charges announced today reflect the seriousness with which we pursue schemes that undermine the Medicare Advantage program. The scheme alleged in this indictment targeted funds intended to provide necessary health care services to Medicare enrollees,” said Robb R. Breeden, Special Agent in Charge of the San Francisco Regional Office of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of the Inspector General (HHS-OIG). “This indictment underscores that HHS-OIG, in collaboration with our law enforcement partners, will pursue those who attempt to exploit federal health care programs — no matter where they attempt to hide.”

An indictment merely alleges that crimes have been committed, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. If convicted, the defendant faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison and a fine of $250,000 for each violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1347. Any sentence following conviction would be imposed by the court after consideration of the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and the federal statute governing the imposition of a sentence, 18 U.S.C. § 3553.

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Maya Karwande with the assistance of Lynette Dixon. The prosecution is the result of an investigation by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.