FBI Captures $500 Million Medicare Fraudster; Intensifies Crackdown on Foreign National Schemes

The FBI has successfully apprehended Khalid Satary, a key figure involved in a large-scale $500 million Medicare fraud scheme. Satary, who employed fake genetic testing and bribed doctors, was one of the FBI’s Most Wanted Fraudsters. His capture took place in the Middle East.

The FBI highlights its ongoing dedication to identifying and prosecuting individuals responsible for Medicare fraud. This move aligns with the Trump administration’s enhanced efforts to pursue foreign nationals suspected of defrauding the U.S. government. Recently, the FBI unveiled a ‘Most Wanted’ list focusing on alleged fraud suspects, as the administration intensifies its crackdown on such fraud cases.

Concerns about overseas actors misusing U.S. government programs have increased, with foreign nationals participating in multiple schemes. Recently named is Onur Simsek, a Turkish national believed to reside in Turkey. Prosecutors claim Simsek orchestrated a defense procurement scheme, falsely certifying Turkish-made parts as tested and qualified, risking military equipment’s operability.

Federal prosecutors accuse Simsek of infiltrating the U.S. defense supply chain through a procurement fraud operation. A reward of $150,000 has been offered for information leading to Simsek’s arrest.

“Simsek’s alleged procurement fraud deprived taxpayers of value, denied honest businesses a fair chance, and diverted vital resources from American warfighters,” said Ed Forst, General Services Administration Administrator.

Under the Trump administration, the GSA pledges ongoing efforts to identify and hold accountable those exploiting the federal marketplace. The FBI’s new ‘Most Wanted Fraudsters’ list aids law enforcement in locating fugitives involved in major fraud schemes. The General Services Administration Office of Inspector General is actively participating in the investigations.

The administration’s fraud investigations increasingly focus on foreign nationals, including a Medicaid and child care fraud scheme purportedly involving Minnesota’s Somali community. These investigations prompted clashes between federal agents and protesters. Vice President JD Vance noted a discernible pattern in fraud cases involving immigrant communities, emphasizing how fraud can spread once one person takes advantage of unverified claims.

Simsek allegedly collaborated with Yuksel Senbol, sentenced in 2024 for conspiracy to defraud. Between April 2019 and February 2022, Simsek reportedly used a U.S. front company to secure contracts for Navy submarines, Marine Corps vehicles, Army tanks, and other military equipment. Turkish origin parts were repackaged before selling to the U.S. government. An arrest warrant for Simsek was issued in Tampa, Florida, in October 2023.

In late July, FBI arrested Khalid Ahmed Satary, identified by FBI Director Kash Patel as a participant in a conspiracy that fraudulently billed Medicare for more than $547 million from 2016 to 2019 for genetic tests deemed medically unnecessary.

According to Patel, the arrest of Satary marks the third capture of a Most Wanted Fraudster by the FBI and its partners within five weeks, demonstrating significant progress for this initiative.