Russian Fraudster Nabbed in Medicare Scam

0:00It's March 27. I'm Cory with the story, and this is Dallas News Today, local news powered by AI. A Russian national living in Texas faces serious charges and a massive Medicare fraud case. Federal prosecutors say, Nikolai, Buzolin from Russia set up a fake medical equipment company in Houston last year. The scheme involves submitting over $400 million in bogus claims to Medicare Part C administrators. He managed to launder $1.7 million through accounts at eight different banks. Meanwhile, Buzolin and his group wired $1.2 million of that cash overseas. He shut down the company late last year and bought a one-way ticket to Moscow. Investigators caught him at a California airport, just as he tried to board the flight. It all started when sharp-eyed Medicare patients spotted something off on their explanation of benefit statements. They noticed charges for equipment they never got from doctors they never saw. Those tips led authorities straight to the scam.

1:00The Texas Department of Insurance played a key role, tracking Buzolin down before he could escape. Their fraud unit worked with federal teams to build the case. Buzolin now faces charges of conspiracy and handling illegal money transactions over $10,000. A conviction could land him up to 20 years behind bars, putting a real dent in these kinds of schemes.