A Russian national appeared in federal court in Houston, Texas on Thursday after reportedly being accused of submitting more than $400 million in fraudulent Medicare claims through what prosecutors say was a sham medical equipment company.
According to a press release from the Department of Justice, 38-year-old Nikolai Buzolin allegedly carried out the scheme through a company he registered in Houston called Verisola, Inc.
Authorities say Buzolin established Verisola in July 2025 and used the company as a front for a large-scale fraud operation involving durable medical equipment claims submitted to Medicare Advantage Organizations.
Prosecutors allege Buzolin rapidly opened a series of bank accounts to facilitate the scheme. According to the Justice Department, he opened six separate accounts at different financial institutions within just nine days between July and August 2025.
Officials say he later opened two additional accounts at two other banks during September and October of the same year.
Investigators also claim Buzolin submitted what authorities described as false documentation when registering the company. The paperwork listed him as Verisola’s sole owner, even though officials say he was not actually the only person controlling the company.
According to the Department of Justice, the alleged misrepresentation was intended to conceal who truly owned and controlled the business.
Prosecutors say the company submitted massive numbers of fraudulent claims over a relatively short period of time.
Between August 2025 and January 2026, Verisola allegedly filed more than $400 million in claims to Medicare Advantage Organizations for durable medical equipment. The items listed in the claims included orthotic braces and glucose monitors.
Federal officials say the equipment referenced in the claims was never actually provided to patients.
Despite the alleged fraudulent nature of the submissions, the Medicare Advantage Organizations reportedly reimbursed Verisola at least $1.7 million before the scheme was uncovered.
According to the Justice Department, the payments were deposited into the bank accounts Buzolin had opened in the company’s name.
Authorities say the money did not remain in the United States for long.
Investigators allege Buzolin wired at least $1.2 million in fraud proceeds to overseas entities as part of the scheme.
The alleged operation came to an end when federal authorities moved in to arrest him.
According to the Department of Justice, Buzolin traveled from Houston to Los Angeles, where he purchased a same-day, one-way ticket to Moscow, Russia.
Federal agents with the FBI arrested him before he was able to leave the country.
Buzolin now faces charges of conspiracy to commit money laundering.
If convicted, he could face a maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison.
The case highlights what federal officials say are ongoing efforts to combat fraud targeting government healthcare programs.
Authorities allege the operation involved hundreds of millions of dollars in false claims submitted in just a matter of months, making it one of the larger fraud schemes prosecutors say they have encountered involving durable medical equipment billing.
The charges against Buzolin remain allegations at this stage, and the case will proceed through the federal court system as prosecutors seek to prove the accusations in court.
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