Federal prosecutors in Chicago have indicted two Kazakh citizens in connection with a large-scale health care fraud scheme involving private insurance and Medicare. Investigators estimate that losses to public and private insurers exceeded $1 billion.
Case against Anuar Abdrakhmanov
One indictment centers on Anuar Abdrakhmanov, a Kazakh citizen accused of conspiring to launder proceeds from Medicare fraud.
According to court records, Abdrakhmanov gained control of Priority One Medical Equipment, a Kentucky-registered company, and allegedly used it to submit fraudulent claims for durable medical equipment.
Between March and August 2024, the company submitted roughly $666 million in false reimbursement claims, prosecutors said. The claims sought payment for continuous glucose monitors and catheters that were never delivered to patients.
Immigration status and company operations
Court documents state that Abdrakhmanov entered the U.S. in May 2023 on a summer work visa that expired in September 2023, but he remained in the country afterward. In April 2024, he became a member and manager of Priority One following a change in the company’s ownership.
During surveillance of the company’s Kentucky office in July 2024, investigators found the location largely inactive and unoccupied. Employees hired by the company allegedly collected mail and relayed its contents via Telegram to a manager they never met in person.
Case against Tair Smagul
The second case involves Tair Smagul, another Kazakh citizen who resides in the Chicago area. Prosecutors accuse him of conspiring to launder Medicare fraud proceeds through Medical Home Care Inc., a company registered in Connecticut.
According to the indictment, Smagul controlled the company from December 2023 through September 2024 and participated in a scheme that billed Medicare and Medigap insurers for catheters and other medical equipment that was medically unnecessary and frequently not provided to patients.
Investigators allege that between May 2023 and June 2024, Medical Home Care submitted approximately 470,000 reimbursement claims totaling about $953 million.
