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Khalid Satary at Washington Dulles International Airport after he was extradited to the US.
After years of being on the run, 54-year-old Khalid Satary, a foreign national, was arrested in connection with $547 million Medicare fraud scheme. FBI Director Kash Patel confirmed that Satary was arrested overseas and was successfully brought back to the US to face justice.
“The arrest of Khalid Ahmed Satary and return to the US is the third Most Wanted Fraudster capture from this FBI and our partners in just 5 weeks – continuing the historic run of success for this new initiative," Patel said.
Highest bond paid in Texas in 2019
Satary was indicted in 2019 on charges of Health Care Fraud Conspiracy, allegedly stealing $547 million from 2016-2019 by fraudulently billing Medicare for expensive and medically unnecessary genetic tests, using deceptive marketing campaigns, illegal kickbacks, and bribes.
He was released on a $4.5 million bond, the second-highest in Texas at the time. He was given a condition that he won't be able to work in the health care field.
Started new fraud, fled US
But Satary continued his fraud and this time he conspired with Houston-based laboratories in Texas to continue submitting fraudulent genetic testing claims to Medicare. He was also on a GPS monitoring and under travel restrictions. But when he did not appear for a scheduled hearing in December 2022, it was found out that he fled the country.
The FBI placed him on its Most Wanted list and offered a cash reward of $150,000 for information leading to his capture and conviction. He had business ties across Houston, Atlanta, Delray Beach and Dubai and he allegedly fled to Dubai, though law enforcement did not mention Dubai.When he was arrested overseas, a fake Mexican passport was found on him in which his name was mentioned as Chaheen Martinez."Our message to fraudsters is clear: If you steal from American taxpayers and exploit vulnerable patients, we will find and prosecute you, no matter where you are," Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche said.Satary has been charged with conspiracy to commit health care fraud and wire fraud, health care fraud, conspiracy to defraud the United States and to pay and receive illegal health care kickbacks and bribes, and conspiracy to commit money laundering. If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison for the counts of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and conspiracy to commit money laundering, 10 years in prison for the counts of health care fraud and conspiracy to commit health care fraud, and five years in prison for the count of conspiracy to defraud the United States and to pay and receive kickbacks
