Federal prosecutors in Chicago have charged several Kazakh nationals in connection with massive fraud schemes targeting Medicare and private insurers, with alleged losses exceeding $1 billion.

One of the cases centers on Anuar Abdrakhmanov, who is accused of conspiracy to commit money laundering linked to Medicare fraud, The Caspian Post reports Kazakh media.

Prosecutors allege that Abdrakhmanov took control of Priority One Medical Equipment and used the company to submit approximately $666 million in fraudulent claims for glucose monitors and catheters between March and August 2024.

According to court documents, many Medicare beneficiaries later reported that they never requested or received the equipment, while some said they were not diabetic. Investigators also found that the company’s registered office in Kentucky appeared vacant and non-operational. Employees reportedly told authorities their role was limited to forwarding mail to an unidentified supervisor via Telegram.

Although Medicare suspended payments to the company in mid-2024, prosecutors say Medigap insurers paid at least $450,000, with part of the funds allegedly transferred to overseas accounts.

In a separate case, another Kazakh national, Tair Smagul, is accused of laundering proceeds from a large-scale fraud scheme involving Medical Home Care Inc. Prosecutors allege that the company submitted nearly $1 billion in fraudulent claims for catheter supplies, triggering tens of thousands of complaints from Medicare beneficiaries.

Federal authorities claim Smagul lived in the Chicago area and controlled Medical Home Care Inc. from December 2023 through September 2024. Court filings state that between May 2023 and June 2024, the company submitted around 470,000 claims totaling approximately $953 million, generating about 27,377 beneficiary complaints nationwide. Investigators allege the claims were for medical equipment that was either not medically necessary or never delivered.

The cases highlight an intensifying crackdown by U.S. authorities on international healthcare fraud networks. Earlier, Australian police charged two Kazakh citizens accused of fraudulently obtaining more than 1.17 million Australian dollars at a casino in Sydney, underscoring the growing global scope of such investigations.