Overview
- A federal grand jury in the Northern District of California returned a 14-count indictment alleging health care fraud and money laundering.
- Prosecutors say Rustamov used a company he created, Dublin Helping Hand, to submit thousands of claims to Medicare Advantage organizations from October 2024 through June 2025.
- The claims allegedly sought more than $90 million for durable medical equipment that was not provided, not medically necessary, or not authorized by a provider.
- Listed beneficiaries and physicians were unaware their information was used, and Rustamov, 38, an Azerbaijani formerly of Sunnyvale, remains at large as the FBI and HHS-OIG pursue the case.
- DOJ officials cast the prosecution as part of a broader ‘War on Fraud,’ and if convicted, Rustamov faces up to 20 years in prison and $250,000 per count, with prosecutors also alleging he may have entered the U.S. illegally.