Ex-California resident charged in $90M Medicare Advantage fraud scheme, feds say
NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!
A foreign national suspected of entering the United States illegally has been charged in an alleged fraud scheme that attempted to steal more than $90 million in federal health care funds distributed through the Medicare Advantage program, according to the Department of Justice.
Anar Rustamov, 38, was indicted by a federal grand jury last week and charged with healthcare fraud for a scheme that involved thousands of false claims for medical equipment and totaled more than $90 million, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of California said in a press release.
According to the statement, he previously lived in Sunnyvale, California, and is a foreign national from Azerbaijan who may have entered the United States illegally.
LOS ANGELES COUNTY FACES INVESTIGATION AFTER WIDESPREAD HOSPITAL FRAUD ALLEGATIONS ARE EMERGED
Anar Rustamov, 38, was indicted by a federal grand jury for health care fraud. (Ting Shen/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
The statement alleges that Rustamov was part of a scheme to send thousands of fraudulent claims to Medicare Advantage Organizations on behalf of unsuspecting beneficiaries for medical equipment such as blood glucose meters and orthotic braces.
The indictment alleges that from October 2024 to June 2025, Rustamov used the Dublin Helping Hand company he founded to submit large amounts of claims to Medicare Advantage Organizations that offer benefit plans.
The indictment alleges that the scheme sought more than $90 million in damages for medical equipment that was not provided, was not needed by patients, or was not approved by a medical provider.
Anar Rustamov remains at large. (BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI/AFP via Getty Images)
The indictment alleges that the patients listed were unaware that their information was being used to make the claims and that the referring medical provider named in the applications did not authorize the claims.
Rustamov remains at large, according to federal authorities.
“When the Administration declared the War on Fraud, it was intended to target precisely this type of behavior. Rustamov participated in a scheme to steal nearly $100 million in taxpayer funds from a program intended to help those who truly needed medical care,” Craig H. Missakian, U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of California, said in a statement. he said.
DOCTOR DENIES HAD KNOWLEDGE OF WIDESPREAD MEDICARE FRAUD IN LA COUNTY USING HIS PROVIDER NUMBER
Anar Rustamov was allegedly part of a scheme to submit thousands of fraudulent claims for medical equipment such as blood glucose meters and orthotic braces. (iStock)
“Anyone who believes they can make easy money by scamming such schemes should know that we will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to detect, investigate and prosecute such fraud and abuse,” he continued.
CLICK TO DOWNLOAD FOX NEWS APPLICATION
If convicted, Rustamov could face a maximum of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine for each violation.
