(Adobe Stock) (FOX Local)
HOUSTON - A Russian national who was living in Texas has been arrested in connection with a multimillion-dollar Medicare fraud scheme.
What we know:
According to federal prosecutors, Nikolai Buzolin, of Tyumen, Russia, was living in Houston last year when he opened Verisola Inc. and registered it as a durable medical equipment company.
Buzolin opened checking accounts at eight banks over the course of the year, according to prosecutors. He used these accounts to deposit money collected from medical equipment claims that were submitted to companies that administer Medicare Part C, prosecutors said.
By the numbers:
Prosecutors said that more than $400 million in fake claims were submitted, and Buzolin laundered $1.7 million through the bank accounts. He was also part of a group that wired $1.2 million of that money overseas.
RELATED: Texas fugitive gets prison for $61M in Medicare fraud involving foot baths, genetic tests
Buzolin closed Verisola in late 2025, bought a one-way plane ticket to Moscow and was arrested in California while trying to board the flight, according to prosecutors.
Buzolin has been charged with conspiracy and engaging in financial transactions greater than $10,000 that involved illegal proceeds. If convicted, he faces up to 20 years in prison.
What they're saying:
The Texas Department of Insurance, which took part in the investigation of Buzolin, said Medicare recipients were the ones who initially alerted authorities to the scheme.
"A few of the patients checked their explanation of benefits and noticed that they were getting medical equipment that they didn't need. And it was coming from doctors they'd never met," said Sgt. Kevin Mannion, TDI Fraud Unit investigator.
TDI said its investigators were also the ones who tracked down Buzolin before he boarded the Russia-bound flight.
The Source: