A foreign national, suspected of unlawfully entering the U.S., faces charges in connection with a scheme to defraud the Medicare Advantage program of over $90 million, as announced by the Justice Department.
Last week, a federal grand jury indicted 38-year-old Anar Rustamov on charges of health care fraud. The indictment claims he orchestrated a scheme that involved filing thousands of bogus claims for medical equipment, amounting to more than $90 million, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of California.
Originally residing in Sunnyvale, California, Rustamov is a citizen of Azerbaijan. The authorities suspect that he might have entered the United States without legal authorization, as noted in the official release.
Anar Rustamov, 38, was indicted by a federal grand jury and charged with health care fraud. (Ting Shen/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
The allegations against Rustamov include participating in a fraudulent operation that submitted numerous fake claims for items such as blood glucose monitors and orthotic braces to Medicare Advantage Organizations, targeting beneficiaries who were unaware of the scheme, according to the report.
The indictment details that from October 2024 to June 2025, Rustamov allegedly used his company, Dublin Helping Hand, to file a significant number of claims with Medicare Advantage Organizations that provide benefit plans.
The scheme allegedly sought reimbursement of more than $90 million for medical equipment that was not provided, not needed by patients or not approved by a medical provider, according to the indictment.
Anar Rustamov remains at large. (BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI/AFP via Getty Images)
The listed patients were unaware that their information was used to submit the claims, and the referring medical provider listed on the submissions did not authorize the claims, the indictment alleges.
Rustamov remains at large, according to federal officials.
“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.
Anar Rustamov was allegedly part of a scheme to submit thousands of fraudulent claims for medical equipment like blood glucose monitors and orthotic braces. (iStock)
“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.
If convicted, Rustamov could face a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison and a fine of $250,000 for each violation.
<!–>
–>
