Azerbaijan Man Charged in $90 Million Medicare Fraud Teaser

Clear Facts:

• Anar Rustamov, a foreign national from Azerbaijan, faces charges for a $90 million health care fraud scheme.
• The Department of Justice reports that Rustamov may have entered the United States illegally.
• The fraudulent claims targeted the Medicare Advantage program for equipment that was never provided to patients.

Federal officials have indicted 38-year-old Anar Rustamov for allegedly orchestrating a massive scheme to drain taxpayer funds. Prosecutors claim Rustamov used his company, Dublin Helping Hand, to submit thousands of false claims for medical equipment.

The indictment alleges the suspect sought reimbursement for blood glucose monitors and orthotic braces that patients did not need or receive.

Most of the victims were completely unaware their personal information was being used to facilitate the theft.

“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,” U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of California Craig H. Missakian said in a statement.

“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,” he continued.

The suspect remains at large as federal authorities continue their investigation into the scope of the operation.

If convicted on all charges, the foreign national faces up to 20 years in prison for each violation.

This case highlights ongoing concerns regarding the exploitation of American social safety nets by individuals residing in the country illegally.

Taxpayers remain on the hook for millions as enforcement agencies struggle to track sophisticated medical billing fraud.

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