Four individuals have been charged in New Hampshire for their alleged involvement in a decade-long healthcare fraud and money laundering operation valued at approximately $3 billion. Prosecutors announced this week that the scheme defrauded Medicare, other government health insurance programs, and private insurers.
Kakha Bendeliani, 48, and Goga Danelia, 31, both citizens of Georgia, face charges of conspiracy to commit money laundering. Authorities allege they laundered proceeds for a Russian transnational criminal organization implicated in what the Department of Justice described as the largest identity theft-driven healthcare fraud scheme ever prosecuted.
The investigation was initiated after numerous individuals, including elderly residents and those with disabilities, reported receiving Explanation of Benefits (EOB) forms from Medicare for durable medical equipment they had not ordered or received. The indictments detail a wide array of fraudulent activities.
Fructoso de Jesus Gomez Agudelo, 76, of Nashua, is accused of wire fraud and identity theft, allegedly assuming another person's identity for over 20 years to illicitly obtain more than $500,000 in public assistance, including benefits from Medicare, Medicaid, Social Security, housing programs, and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).
Bendeliani is accused of acting as the "nominee owner" of Centennial Med Supply LLC, a fraudulent medical equipment front company. He allegedly permitted others to use his identity to purchase the business and establish bank accounts across six U.S. banks. Prosecutors state he then withdrew $12,589,770 in fraudulent Medicare payments derived from a substantial billing scam involving urinary catheters. He is accused of using cashier's checks to obscure the origin of the funds before wiring over $12.5 million to overseas accounts.
Danelia is described as Bendeliani's primary accomplice. Due to Bendeliani's limited English proficiency and inability to drive, Danelia allegedly provided transportation and translation services to facilitate navigating U.S. banks. Danelia also assisted Bendeliani in opening accounts, withdrawing fraudulent cash via cashier's checks, and transferring the money into secondary accounts before it was wired out of the country.
Separately, Rima Gerges-Maalouf, 60, of Massachusetts, faces charges for allegedly diverting controlled prescription drugs while working as a pharmacist in New Hampshire. Investigators claim she opened drug capsules to steal the powdered medication inside. In August 2024, while working as a temporary pharmacist, she allegedly stole 147 pills or capsules of controlled substances within a single month, ingesting some of the stolen medication while on duty.
All four defendants face potential decades in prison if convicted.