FILE – Khalid Satary’s arrival at Washington Dulles International Airport. (Department of Justice)
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A man who allegedly attempted to defraud Medicare for over half a billion dollars was arrested on Tuesday after being on the run for more than three years, according to the Department of Justice.
The department said it was one of the largest health care fraud schemes it has investigated.
Dig deeper:
Khalid Satary, 54, operated several diagnostic testing laboratories between 2016 and 2019 and billed Medicare for expensive and medically unnecessary genetic testing.
Satary allegedly conspired with dozens of patient recruiters, telemarketing call centers and telemedicine companies.
Together, Satary and the companies would implement deceptive marketing tactics and illegal kickbacks and bribes to create cancer genetic samples that reimbursed between $10,000 and $20,000 per sample, the DOJ said.
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By the numbers:
Satary ended up billing over $547 million to Medicare and allegedly paid millions in illegal kickbacks and bribes to doctors and patient recruiters.
After he was indicted, Satary was released on bond.
During this time, Satary allegedly conspired once again with laboratories based in Houston, Texas, to continue his fraud scheme.
After a federal arrest warrant was issued for Satary in 2022, it was discovered he fled the country.
Satary was finally apprehended by regional partners on July 20, 2026, in the Middle East.
He was found with a fake Mexican passport and transferred to Virginia.
Satary’s charges
Satary has been charged with conspiracy to commit health care fraud and fire 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.
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What’s next:
If convicted, Satary could face a total maximum of 30 years in prison.