7/23/2008
Russian Citizen charged in $1 Million Medicare Fraud
Indictment Alleges Amiran Aliyevich Abukov, 23, of Cherkessk, Russia, Submitted False Claims Based on Nonexistent Sales of Medical Equipment
Portland, Ore. – United States Attorney Karin Immergut announced today that a grand jury in Portland has charged Amiran Aliyevich Abukov with wire fraud , health care fraud and aggravated identity theft in connection with an alleged scheme to defraud the Medicare Program. Immigration records indicate Abukov entered the United States on a student visa which had expired at the time of the alleged fraud. A warrant for his arrest has been issued.
The indictment alleges that Abukov and others registered an Oregon corporation called Quickmed Supply LLC and arranged for a physical location which was made to appear to be in the business of selling medical equipment. Quickmed then applied for and received a Medicare Supplier Number which enabled Quickmed to bill Medicare for sales of equipment to Medicare beneficiaries.
The indictment charges that Abukov and others obtained and fraudulently used identifying numbers for physicians and Medicare beneficiaries without authority to create and submit false claims for sales of medical equipment which never actually occurred. Quickmed allegedly submitted claims totaling $1,135,802.15, and received payments totaling $759,340.94 before Medicare detected the fraud.
Wire fraud carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison. Health care fraud carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison. Aggravated identity theft carries a mandatory penalty of two years in prison in addition to the penalty imposed for any related fraud charges. Each offense also can result in a fine of up to $250,000. The case was investigated by the FBI and the Office of Inspector General for the Department of Health and Human Services. The investigation is continuing. Assistant U.S. Attorney Lance Caldwell is handling the prosecution of this case.
A criminal indictment is only an allegation and not evidence of guilt. Abukov, like all defendants, is presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty. A warrant for Abukov’s arrest has been issued.
