Thousands received bills for equipment they never ordered or received
In what prosecutors call the largest identity theft-driven healthcare fraud ever prosecuted, four individuals now face federal charges tied to a $3 billion scheme that quietly plundered Medicare by billing for medical equipment that thousands of elderly and disabled Americans never received. The operation, linked to Russian transnational organized crime and centered in New Hampshire, reveals how deeply criminal networks can embed themselves within the bureaucratic trust that holds public health systems together. It is a story not only of stolen identities and laundered millions, but of how the most vulnerable members of society become invisible instruments in someone else's profit.
- Thousands of elderly and disabled Medicare recipients discovered their identities had been used to bill for wheelchairs, catheters, and oxygen tanks they never requested — the confused phone calls they made became the first thread investigators pulled.
- A Russian-linked criminal network allegedly orchestrated a $3 billion fraud from New Hampshire, exposing how transnational organized crime has learned to weaponize the administrative machinery of American healthcare.
- Two Georgian nationals allegedly laundered $12.5 million through six U.S. banks using a shell company, cashier's checks, and overseas wire transfers — one man providing the false identity and banking access, the other serving as translator and driver to navigate American institutions.
- A Massachusetts pharmacist separately stands accused of opening capsules to steal controlled medication from patients while working a temporary shift — stealing 147 pills in a single month for personal use.
- Federal prosecutors are pressing charges that carry decades in prison, framing the case as a warning about how profoundly vulnerable government health payment systems remain to coordinated, sophisticated exploitation.
Four people now face federal charges in what prosecutors describe as the largest identity theft-driven healthcare fraud ever brought to court — a $3 billion operation that used the names of thousands of elderly and disabled Americans to bill Medicare for medical equipment they never received.
The scheme began to unravel when confused Medicare beneficiaries called the program after receiving billing statements for wheelchairs, catheters, and oxygen tanks they had never ordered. That thread, once pulled, led investigators to a transnational criminal network with ties to Russian organized crime, operating out of New Hampshire.
Among those charged is Fructoso de Jesus Gomez Agudelo, 76, who allegedly stole a U.S. citizen's identity and lived under it for more than two decades, collecting over $500,000 in public benefits including Medicare, Medicaid, and Social Security. Two Georgian nationals — Kakha Bendeliani, 48, and Goga Danelia, 31 — allegedly formed the operational core of the money laundering arm. Bendeliani became the nominee owner of a shell company that submitted fraudulent Medicare claims, withdrawing $12.5 million across six U.S. banks before converting the funds into cashier's checks and wiring them overseas. Because Bendeliani spoke limited English and could not drive, Danelia accompanied him to banks, helped open accounts, and facilitated the movement of money — two men working in careful tandem to move stolen funds out of reach.
In a separate but related charge, Rima Gerges-Maalouf, 60, of Massachusetts, allegedly stole 147 controlled-substance pills while working as a temporary pharmacist at a New Hampshire pharmacy — opening capsules, keeping some, and ingesting others while on duty.
U.S. Attorney Erin Creegan described the charges as exposing the willingness of transnational criminal organizations to inflict staggering harm on both the healthcare system and the people it is meant to protect. All four defendants face decades in prison if convicted.
Four people now face federal charges for their roles in what prosecutors describe as the largest identity theft-driven healthcare fraud scheme ever brought to court—a $3 billion operation that reached into the lives of thousands of elderly Americans and people with disabilities who had no idea their names were being used to bill Medicare for medical equipment they never ordered.
The scheme unraveled when thousands of Medicare beneficiaries began calling the program after receiving Explanation of Benefits forms in the mail. The documents showed they had been billed for durable medical equipment—urinary catheters, wheelchairs, oxygen tanks—that they had never requested and never received. What started as confused phone calls became the thread that investigators pulled to expose a transnational criminal network operating out of New Hampshire with ties to Russian organized crime.
Fructoso de Jesus Gomez Agudelo, 76, of Nashua, allegedly stole the identity of a U.S. citizen and lived under that false name for more than two decades. Using the stolen identity, he applied for and obtained over $500,000 in public benefits—Medicare, Medicaid, Social Security, housing assistance, and food stamps. The sheer duration of the deception, prosecutors say, speaks to how thoroughly he had embedded himself in the victim's life.
Two men from Georgia—Kakha Bendeliani, 48, and Goga Danelia, 31—allegedly served as the operational core of the money laundering operation. Bendeliani became the nominee owner of a shell company called Centennial Med Supply LLC, a front business that submitted massive fraudulent billing claims to Medicare. He allowed others to use his personal information to purchase the company and open bank accounts across six different U.S. banks. From those accounts, he withdrew $12.5 million in fraudulent Medicare payouts derived from the broader $3 billion catheter billing scam. To obscure the money's origin, he converted the funds into cashier's checks before wiring them to overseas accounts.
Danelia's role was essential to the operation's success. Because Bendeliani did not speak fluent English and could not drive, Danelia became his translator and chauffeur, accompanying him to banks, helping him open accounts, assisting with cash withdrawals, and facilitating the movement of money into secondary accounts before it left the country. The two men worked in tandem—one providing the false identity and access to the banking system, the other providing the practical skills needed to navigate American institutions.
Separately, Rima Gerges-Maalouf, 60, of Massachusetts, was charged with diverting controlled prescription drugs while working as a temporary pharmacist at a New Hampshire pharmacy in August 2024. Investigators say she opened capsules to steal the powdered medication inside, keeping some for herself and ingesting other stolen drugs while on duty. In a single month, she is accused of stealing 147 pills or capsules of controlled substances—medication meant for sick patients that she converted to her own use.
U.S. Attorney Erin Creegan described the charges as exposing "the staggering scale of fraud and money laundering that Transnational Criminal Organizations are willing to inflict on our health care system and the people of New Hampshire." The case reveals how vulnerable the Medicare system remains to coordinated, sophisticated fraud operations that exploit the trust built into the payment infrastructure. All four defendants face decades in prison if convicted.
Notable Quotes
These charges expose the staggering scale of fraud and money laundering that Transnational Criminal Organizations are willing to inflict on our health care system and the people of New Hampshire.— U.S. Attorney Erin Creegan
The Hearth Conversation Another angle on the story
How does a scheme this large stay hidden for so long?
Because the victims don't know they're victims at first. An elderly person gets a form in the mail saying Medicare paid for equipment they never ordered. They call to report it. But by then, the money is already gone—wired overseas, converted into cashier's checks, moved through multiple banks. The system catches up only when enough people call at once.
Why would a Russian criminal organization care about Medicare billing specifically?
It's low-risk, high-volume money. You're not robbing a bank or moving drugs across borders. You're submitting paperwork to a government program that processes billions in claims. If you get caught, you're a white-collar criminal. If you don't, you've stolen millions.
What made Bendeliani and Danelia vulnerable to prosecution?
They needed to be visible. Bendeliani couldn't drive or speak English fluently, so he needed Danelia. Danelia needed to go to banks, open accounts, move cash. The more you interact with the American financial system, the more traces you leave. Eventually someone notices the pattern.
Did the pharmacist's crimes connect to the larger scheme?
The charges don't suggest a direct link. Her case appears separate—a person with access to controlled substances stealing them for personal use. But it was prosecuted alongside the others, suggesting investigators saw a broader pattern of healthcare system exploitation.
What happens to the victims now?
They have their identities back, but the damage is done. Their medical records are contaminated with treatments they never received. Some may face billing issues for years. The elderly and disabled—the most vulnerable populations—bore the weight of this scheme.