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Anuar Abdrakhmanov is one of the defendants. He is suspected of taking control of the legally registered company Priority One Medical Equipment in Kentucky and using it to submit fraudulent claims under the Medicare program. From March to August 2024, the firm allegedly billed approximately $666 million for the supply of continuous glucose monitors and catheters.
Court documents show that Anuar Abdrakhmanov entered the United States in May 2023 on a summer work visa, which expired in September of the same year, but he remained in the country. In April 2024, he became a member and manager of Priority One after the company was sold by its previous owner.
From May to August 2024, Medicare received about 250 complaints regarding the operations of Priority One. Many clients reported that they had not ordered any goods or services from the company. Six Medicare recipients from Illinois informed investigators that they had not received diabetic supplies, and some even noted that they do not have diabetes.
In July 2024, investigators observing the Priority One office in Kentucky noticed that it appeared empty and closed. Hired workers claimed that their only task was to receive mail, which they forwarded through the encrypted Telegram app to a manager they had never met in person. Court records indicate that FedEx checks were sent to addresses in the suburbs of Chicago.
One employee of the company stated that he lost a check for $1 million issued to them, and after it was found, he received a bonus of $2,000.
Medicare suspended payments to Priority One in July 2024, which preceded the start of fund distribution. According to the investigation, Medigap insurance companies reimbursed at least $450,000 in claims. Financial reports show that Anuar Abdrakhmanov transferred about $182,000 to accounts in Hong Kong and attempted to send over $200,000 abroad. In August 2024, he also deposited about 30 checks from Medigap insurance companies totaling approximately $22,500 into the Priority One account.
The second defendant, Tair Smagul, residing in the Chicago area, is charged with conspiracy to launder money obtained through fraudulent activities with the Medicare program. He is linked to the company Medical Home Care Inc. from Connecticut.
According to the prosecution, from December 2023 to September 2024, Tair Smagul controlled this firm and participated in a nationwide scheme to bill Medicare and Medigap for catheters and other medical equipment that was not necessary for patients and often not delivered.
According to the indictment, Medical Home Care submitted about 470,000 claims totaling approximately $953 million from May 2023 to June 2024. During this period, Medicare received over 27,000 complaints from insured individuals.
Investigators interviewed 19 Medicare recipients, including five from Illinois. All denied receiving catheters. Three medical professionals listed as prescribing this equipment stated that they did not prescribe it, and the listed recipients are not their patients.
Financial documents show that Medigap insurance organizations paid at least $854,000 in fraudulent claims from Medical Home Care in January and February 2024.
The investigation claims that Tair Smagul regularly withdrew money through ATMs in Illinois, after which he closed the company’s bank accounts, transferring a check with fraudulent funds to his personal account.
