4 charged in $3 billion healthcare fraud linked to Russian crime ring in US

The US Department of Justice has charged four individuals for their alleged involvement in a $3 billion Medicare fraud and money laundering scheme linked to a Russian organized crime ring.

Scraper SystemJune 26, 2026, 09:38 AM

4 charged in $3 billion healthcare fraud linked to Russian crime ring in US

The US Department of Justice has charged four individuals for their alleged involvement in a $3 billion Medicare fraud and money laundering scheme linked to a Russian organized crime ring in New Hampshire.

The investigation began after thousands of people who received 'Explanation of Benefits' forms from Medicare encountered notifications for medical equipment they had never ordered. Officials said the criminal network operated the largest identity theft-based healthcare fraud scheme ever prosecuted.

Defendants and charges

Fructoso de Jesus Gomez Agudelo, 76, of Nashua, is charged with wire fraud and identity theft. Agudelo is accused of using the identity of a US citizen for more than 20 years to obtain over $500,000 in various public assistance programs.

Kakha Bendeliani, 48, from Georgia, and Goga Danelia, 31, are charged with conspiring to launder money by submitting fraudulent claims to Medicare. Bendeliani is alleged to have opened accounts at six US banks as the 'nominal owner' of a shell company and withdrew $12,589,770 from a $3 billion urinary catheter billing fraud scheme for a Russian transnational crime ring. He is said to have laundered the money through cashier's checks and transferred over $12.5 million to foreign accounts.

Danelia is said to have assisted Bendeliani, who does not speak English and does not drive, by serving as a driver and translator for banking transactions, playing a key role in account opening, cash withdrawals, and moving funds abroad.

Rima Gerges-Maalouf, 60, of Massachusetts, is charged with stealing controlled prescription drugs while working as a temporary pharmacist in New Hampshire. According to the Department of Justice, she stole 147 pills or capsules in one month in August 2024 and swallowed some while on duty.

Reactions and penalties

New Hampshire Attorney General Erin Creegan said, 'These charges reveal the alarming scale of fraud and money laundering that transnational crime organizations are prepared to inflict on our healthcare system and the people of New Hampshire.'

All defendants face decades in prison if convicted.

4 charged in $3 billion healthcare fraud linked to Russian crime ring in US

The US Department of Justice has charged four individuals for their alleged involvement in a $3 billion Medicare fraud and money laundering scheme linked to a Russian organized crime ring.