Arrest - InsuranceFraud.org

Ron Barlow said he always writes down all his doctor appointments on his calendar. When he gets his explanation of benefits, he said he lines up the dates of his visits with the charges billed to his insurance to make sure it’s correct.

But when we spoke with Barlow last November, he told 13 Investigates his Medicare account was being billed by Florida-based company Sunshine Senior Solutions for medical supplies he knew nothing about. 13 Investigates has since learned we were trying to reach the man the FBI now says was behind “one of the biggest Medicare scams in history.”

Ibrahim Khaldoon Hilmi, 58, was arrested in Turkey for “his alleged role in a $3.7 billion scheme to defraud Medicare,” the FBI announced on June 22, 2026.

Hilmi was charged with health care fraud and wire fraud conspiracy, money laundering conspiracy, and money laundering.

A federal indictment for Hilmi says he is listed as the sole authorized member of Sunshine Senior Solutions.

He is now facing federal charges for his role with Sunshine Senior Solutions and ABRH, another durable medical equipment company.

Federal prosecutors allege both companies were part of the same fraud scheme, describing them in the indictment as “shell companies that existed for the sole purpose of defrauding insurers and funneling insurance reimbursements to foreign actors overseas.”

Despite submitting $3.7 billion in claims to Medicare, Medicaid, and other insurers, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said only $5.7 million was paid out and deposited into Sunshine Senior Solutions and ABRH bank accounts.

Sunshine Senior Solutions had an office space in Delray Beach, Florida, and provided no legitimate business purpose and didn’t serve customers, according to the indictment.

After negative reviews started surfacing online alleging Sunshine Senior Solutions was committing health care fraud, federal authorities said Hilmi fled the country in May 2025.

13 Investigates could not reach Hilmi’s attorneys for comment.

Barlow was charged for “wound covers” and hundreds of catheters between September 2024 and February 2025, according to Medicare documents he received.

He said that when he saw those charges from Sunshine Senior Solutions on his account for equipment he didn’t need and never received, he reported them to Medicare as fraud.

“Somehow they tapped into some data source, got my information, and I’m guessing just went fishing. Let’s just bill this guy and see if it goes through,” Barlow said.

Medicare told 13 Investigates last year in a statement that they revoked Sunshine Senior Solutions’ ability to bill Medicare in June of last year.

“Medicare is funded from our tax dollars, so you’re paying for it,” Barlow said. “You and me, we’re all paying for it, and these guys are getting away with it.”

Barlow said it’s important for people to check their insurance statements to make sure they recognize the charges on their account, because that is how he discovered his concerns with Sunshine Senior Solutions.

A former New Haven firefighter and his wife are charged with allegedly staging an armed robbery last year in an attempt to collect more than $70,000 in insurance proceeds for expensive jewelry they claimed had been stolen at gunpoint a by Black man outside a West Haven convenience store.

Reginald Blakey, 46, and his wife, Eunice, 47, of Washingtonville, N.Y., will be in state Superior Court in Milford on Thursday where they each face charges of insurance fraud and conspiracy to commit first-degree larceny. They were both arrested May 21 by West Haven police following a monthslong investigation into the Dec. 16, 2025, incident.

They have not yet entered a plea. Each is released on $15,000 surety bond.

Reginald Blakey left the fire department approximately two years ago, according to the New Haven Fire Department.

United States Attorney Robert Frazer announces criminal charges against 6 defendants in connection with an alleged scheme to defraud Medicare and Medicaid involving a doctor and other medical professionals issuing medically unnecessary prescriptions to a pharmacist in exchange for cash kickbacks.

“The District of New Jersey remains committed to aggressively rooting out fraud, waste, and abuse committed by doctors, pharmacists, and medical professionals who betray their patients in pursuit of greed. Our Office will continue to ensure that those individuals who bilk our insurance systems to line their pockets with taxpayer dollars face swift justice.”

U.S. Attorney Robert Frazer

“Each of the defendants had a unique role in this alleged scheme, but the common thread is a complete disrespect for the Medicare and Medicaid programs that so many Americans rely on,” said Newark Special Agent in Charge Stefanie Roddy. “The defendants defrauded these programs through kickbacks that lined their pockets, while over $20 million taxpayer dollars were quietly disappearing. The FBI will continue to root out conspiracies to commit health care fraud and restore balance to a system that will not be shaken by these disrupters.”

The following individuals were charged by Information in the District of New Jersey on July 7, 2026 and appeared before Judge Karen M. Williams in federal district court in Camden in connection with the scheme:

Sherif Elmasri, 45, of Morganville, New Jersey, pled guilty to a two-count Information charging him with conspiring to commit health care fraud and to violate the Anti-Kickback Statute on June 16, 2025.
Boris Veysman, 48, of Freehold, New Jersey, pled guilty to a two-count Information charging him with conspiring to commit health care fraud and unlawfully distribute controlled substances on June 17, 2025.
Stephanie Cupo, 45, of South Plainfield, New Jersey, pled guilty to an Information charging her with conspiring to make false statements relating to health care matters and to use a Drug Enforcement Administration registration number issued to another person on January 7, 2026.
Nikki Steidle, 53, of Toms River, New Jersey, pled guilty to an Information charging her with conspiring to defraud the United States, solicit and receive kickbacks, offer and pay kickbacks, and unlawfully distribute controlled substances on June 30, 2026.
Janet Tadros, 59, of Union City, New Jersey, pled guilty to a two-count Information charging her with conspiring to commit health care fraud and to violate the Anti-Kickback statute on July 7, 2026.
Additionally, Ashlee Maixner, 39, of Lakehurst, New Jersey, was charged by indictment with conspiracy to defraud the United States, solicit and receive kickbacks, offer and pay kickbacks, unlawfully distribute controlled substances, and two counts of soliciting and receiving a kickback. Maixner was arraigned before Magistrate Judge André M. Espinosa in Newark on June 25, 2026, and pled not guilty.

According to documents filed in these cases and statements made in court:

From October 2022 to November 2025, Elmasri, a pharmacy owner, paid illegal kickbacks and bribes to several health care providers in exchange for them issuing prescriptions for high-reimbursement medications, which Elmasri selected, to Medicare and Medicaid beneficiaries. Elmasri personally profited from these prescriptions and the insurance claims it generated for his pharmacies.

One of the providers involved in the scheme was Dr. Boris Veysman, an emergency medicine doctor with offices in New Jersey. Elmasri paid Veysman to issue prescriptions recommended by Elmasri to Medicare beneficiaries Elmasri referred to Veysman from from approximately May 2023 to December 2024. Veysman, at times, did not examine the patients prior to issuing the prescriptions. Maixner and Steidle were advanced practice nurses who worked for Veysman and are also alleged to have received illegal kickbacks from Elmasri for issuing prescriptions. Cupo also worked for Veysman and submitted prior authorizations with false information to increase the likelihood that the prior authorizations she prepared would be approved by Medicare and other health care benefit programs.

Separately, Janet Tadros was the office manager of a neurology practice in Jersey City, New Jersey, who, from between December 2023 and November 2025, solicited and received cash kickbacks of approximately $3,000 per week in exchange for sending Elmasri’s pharmacies medically unnecessary prescriptions for patients who were not evaluated nor prescribed the medications and that were sent without the provider’s knowledge or authorization.

In total, the defendants are alleged to have caused a loss of approximately $20,684,264 to Medicare and Medicaid.

Veysman, Steidle, and Maixner are separately charged with allegedly conspiring to unlawfully distribute controlled substances to patients without assessing them.

The charges of conspiracy carry a statutory maximum of five years imprisonment as well as a maximum fine equal to twice the gross gain or twice the gross loss caused by the offense. The charges of conspiracy to commit health care fraud and violations of the Anti-Kickback statute each carry a statutory maximum of ten years imprisonment.

U.S. Attorney Frazer credited special agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigations, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Stefanie Roddy, the Department of Health and Human Services, Office of the Inspector General, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Naomi Gruchacz, and special agents, task force officers, and diversion investigators with the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) New Jersey Field Division, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Towanda R. Thorne-James.

The Department of Justice has established the National Fraud Enforcement Division. The core mission of the National Fraud Enforcement Division is to zealously investigate and prosecute those who steal or fraudulently misuse taxpayer dollars. The National Fraud Enforcement Division will fulfill that mission by coordinating with agencies responsible for administering benefit programs; partnering with federal, tribal, state, territorial, and local law enforcement on fraud-fighting efforts; developing systems and processes that ensure efficient identification of fraud against taxpayer dollars; and equipping prosecutors and law enforcement with state-of-the-art tools and resources needed to bring criminal actors to justice. The attorneys in the National Fraud Enforcement Division will work every day to protect the financial integrity of our government and the tax system that supports it.

The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jake A. Nasar of the Healthcare Fraud Unit in Newark and Trial Attorneys Nicholas Peone, Paul J. Koob, and Kraig Ahalt of the Department of Justice’s Fraud Section. Valuable assistant in the investigation was provided by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jessica R. Ecker of the Northern District of Illinois.

The charges and allegations contained in the Indictment against Maixner are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

Florida Chief Financial Officer Blaise Ingoglia on Thursday announced the arrest of a man in Miami-Dade County accused of carrying out an insurance fraud scheme that investigators say relied on the personal information of unsuspecting victims to obtain commission payments.

Luigino Jose Bosco, whom the Florida Department of Financial Services identified as an illegal immigrant, was arrested last week by the department’s Criminal Investigations Division. He has been charged with insurance fraud, application fraud, grand theft and organized scheme to defraud. If convicted, Bosco faces up to five years in prison.

According to the Department of Financial Services, the investigation began after an insurance company reported that fraudulent life insurance policy applications were being submitted using victims’ personal information.

Investigators said sworn statements from victims and evidence gathered during the investigation uncovered Bosco’s alleged scheme to file fraudulent policy applications in order to receive advance insurance commission payments totaling $5,043.23.

“Let this arrest serve as a warning. Whether you are here legally or illegally, Florida is not the place to run your fraud scheme. If you think you can steal someone’s identity, falsify applications, and profit off of unsuspecting Floridians, think again. Crime such as this drives up costs for hardworking families and undermines the trust that Floridians deserve to have in the marketplace. I applaud the work of our Criminal Investigations Division on this case and putting Bosco behind bars,” Ingoglia said in a statement.

In a video released with the announcement, Ingoglia said insurance fraud contributes to higher costs for consumers throughout Florida.

“A friendly reminder that insurance fraud drives up insurance rates and premiums in Florida. And if you’re an illegal immigrant who’s committing the fraud, well, it’s just a matter of time until we catch you and you are deported.”

He then pointed to Bosco as an example of the type of fraud his office is targeting.

“So let me introduce you to Luigino Jose Bosco, who allegedly stole personal information from unsuspecting victims to file fraudulent life insurance policy claims. Even though Jose was wanted by ICE, this criminal still decided it was a good idea to defraud Floridians.”

State officials said Bosco was wanted by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement at the time of his arrest.

Ingoglia described the arrest as part of a larger statewide effort to combat fraud and financial crimes.

“This is yet another arrest in my ongoing crackdown on fraud and financial crime in our great state. Insurance scammers and illegal immigrants who commit crimes have no place in Florida. And if you think you’re going to get away with it, I have one thing to say: No way, Jose.”

He concluded the video with another warning aimed at those considering similar crimes.

“Florida is the land of opportunity, not an opportunity to take advantage of hardworking Floridians. We will find you and put you behind bars. So join me in saying, adios, Senor Bosco.”

A Cherokee County couple is facing charges after reportedly filing a false insurance claim.

The South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED) charged 40-year-old Tristan Wayne Rodgers and 40-year-old Charity Andrica Covington with Presenting a False Claim for Insurance Payment—Value $2,000 or Less on Tuesday, July 7.

The South Carolina Department of Insurance requested the SLED investigation.

Warrants revealed that both suspects reportedly conspired in filing a false report with Progressive that Rodgers was a passenger in a parked vehicle when it was hit in the rear by a semi-truck, causing him alleged injuries.

Further into the investigation, authorities said both individuals admitted that Rogers was not in the car during the incident in a recorded statement.

Both Rodgers and Covington were booked into the Cherokee County Detention Center.

The case will be prosecuted by the South Carolina Department of Insurance.

New York Attorney General Letitia James today announced the arrest and indictment of Nduka Lewis Ekpenyong, 36, of Hewlett, New York arrest and indictment of Nduka Lewis Ekpenyong, 36, of Hewlett, New York for allegedly stealing more than $2.5 million from Medicaid through a fraud scheme that left children without the nutritional supplements they needed. An investigation by the Office of the Attorney General’s (OAG) Medicaid Fraud Control Unit (MFCU) found that from April 13, 2023, to July 15, 2025, Ekpenyong submitted over 6,000 claims to Medicaid through his company, Duke Medical, Inc. (Duke Medical), for PediaSure with Peptides, but did not purchase the vast majority of the product for which he submitted claims to Medicaid. Ekpenyong pocketed more than $2.5 million from Medicaid through his false billing scheme, which he used to buy luxury cars, including a Bentley and a Range Rover, and pay the mortgage on his Long Island mansion. Ekpenyong and Duke Medical were charged with Grand Larceny, Healthcare Fraud, and Scheme to Defraud.

“While Nduka Ekpenyong was buying luxury cars with money he allegedly stole from our state’s Medicaid program, families affected by his fraud were struggling to feed their children,” said Attorney General James. “My office has shut down this heartless fraud scheme for good. This case should send a strong message to anyone seeking to profit by exploiting Medicaid: we will use the full force of the law to bring you to justice.”

Duke Medical is a medical supply company located in Brownsville, Brooklyn that provides medical equipment and supplies. The OAG’s investigation found that Ekpenyong allegedly instructed office staff at pediatric practices to alter doctors’ prescriptions for the basic PediaSure Nutritional Supplement and submit requests that would allow him to bill Medicaid for the more expensive, and medically unnecessary, PediaSure with Peptides. PediaSure with Peptides is intended only for children diagnosed with severe gastrointestinal issues.

Ekpenyong, through Duke Medical, allegedly submitted thousands of fraudulent reimbursement claims to Medicaid for cases of PediaSure with Peptides that Ekpenyong never actually ordered. In fact, an OAG audit revealed that Duke Medical purchased only 10 percent of the amount for which Ekpenyong billed Medicaid. As a result, Medicaid paid Duke Medical approximately $2,531,194.30 for PediaSure with Peptides that was not medically necessary, and in many cases, was not purchased or delivered by Duke Medical at all. The OAG’s investigation found that Duke Medical’s fraudulent scheme prevented some families in need from getting the formula their children’s pediatricians had ordered, preventing them from receiving the care they needed.

In addition to the criminal indictment against Ekpenyong and Duke Medical, Attorney General James filed a civil asset forfeiture action, allowing OAG to seize assets Ekpenyong purchased with his stolen Medicaid funds, including a Bentley and a Range Rover. The OAG’s civil asset forfeiture action also constrains Ekpenyong from selling his multi-million-dollar house on Long Island, the mortgage for which he paid using stolen Medicaid funds.

Ekpenyong and Duke Medical were charged with one count of Grand Larceny in the First Degree, one count of Health Care Fraud in the Second Degree, and one count of Scheme to Defraud in the First Degree. If convicted, Ekpenyong faces a maximum sentence of eight and a third to 25 years in state prison on the top count. The OAG’s civil asset forfeiture action seeks $7,593,582.90 in damages for Ekpenyong’s fraud.

These charges are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.

This investigation was handled by Detective John Cataldi under the supervision of Detective Supervisor Dominick DiGennaro and Deputy Chief Ronald Lynch. The audit investigation was conducted by Principal Auditor Investigator Kizzy-Ann Waldropt with the assistance of Principal Auditor Investigator Shoma Howard, under the supervision of Supervising Principal Auditor Investigator Patricia Iemma and Regional Chief Auditor Jonathan Romano.

The criminal case is being prosecuted by Special Assistant Attorney General Michael Hendrick under the Supervision of New York City Regional Director Twan Bounds. Investigative support was provided by Legal Support Analysts Elon Granston and Natalie Tamblyn under the supervision of Supervising Legal Assistant Alexandra Schmit.

The civil action is being litigated by Special Assistant Attorney General Ian Bain and Senior Counsel Emily Auletta of MFCU’s Civil Enforcement Division under the supervision of Deputy Regional Directors Diana Elkind and Konrad Payne, as well as Civil Enforcement Chief Alee Scott.

MFCU is led by Deputy Attorney General Amy Held and Assistant Deputy Attorney General Thomas O’Hanlon. MFCU is part of the Division for Criminal Justice, which is led by Chief Deputy Attorney General José Maldonado and overseen by First Deputy Attorney General Jennifer Levy.

New York MFCU’s total funding for federal fiscal year (FY) 2026 is $70,793,651. Of that total, 75 percent, or $53,095,240, is awarded under a grant from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The remaining 25 percent, totaling $17,698,411 for FY 2026, is funded by New York State.

A federal grand jury has returned a superseding indictment charging Muhammad Zishan, a/k/a “Sean,” a/k/a “Shaun,” a/k/a “Shawn,” age 48, of Albany County, New York; Madiha Javed, a/k/a “Maddie,” age 34, of Rensselaer County, New York; and Ghazali Shaikh, age 20, of Warren County, New York, with conspiracy to commit health care fraud and wire fraud and conspiracy to pay health care kickbacks in connection with Medicaid transportation services. The charges filed in federal court are part of the Department of Justice’s 2026 National Health Care Fraud Takedown.

The announcement was made by First Assistant United States Attorney John A. Sarcone III, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Special Agent in Charge Craig L. Tremaroli, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG) Special Agent in Charge Naomi Gruchacz, and New York State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli. This prosecution is part of the Trump Administration’s Task Force to Eliminate Fraud.

“The superseding indictment alleges a scheme grounded in false claims, illegal kickbacks, and inducements used to generate Medicaid reimbursements,” said First Assistant United States Attorney John A. Sarcone III. “If proven, the conduct reflects a deliberate effort to drain public funds through fraud and to distort a program designed to serve those in need across New York. My office will continue to target those who weaponize federally funded health care systems for private gain and to safeguard taxpayer dollars from abuse.”

“HHS-OIG works tirelessly with our law enforcement partners to ensure that individuals are held accountable if they attempt to exploit federal health care programs for their own greed,” stated Special Agent in Charge Naomi Gruchacz with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG). “It is alleged in this case that the defendants offered illegal kickbacks and billed Medicaid improperly for millions of dollars, which can affect the availability of funds and services for others and drive up the cost of taxpayer-funded health care.”

FBI Special Agent in Charge Craig L. Tremaroli said, “The allegations against these defendants are infuriating. Vital government programs like Medicaid are designed to help people access the care they need. They are not designed so criminals can extort taxpayer dollars and line their own pockets. The FBI will continue to work with our partners to investigate and bring to justice any criminal looking to defraud our invaluable government programs.”

According to the superseding indictment, between approximately January 2020 and February 2025, the defendants operated and were associated with Latham Taxi Inc., a Medicaid-enrolled transportation provider. Medicaid is a federal and state health care program that reimburses providers for medically necessary services, including non-emergency transportation to medical appointments.

The superseding indictment alleges that the defendants engaged in a scheme to defraud Medicaid by submitting and causing the submission of claims for transportation services that were not provided, not medically necessary, or improperly inflated. The alleged fraudulent billing included claims for “ghost rides,” claims for trips in which Medicaid recipients were not transported or not seen by medical providers and claims that improperly increased reimbursement by treating group transportation as multiple individual trips.

The superseding indictment further alleges that the defendants provided Medicaid recipients with cash, rent abatement, controlled substances, and other things of value to induce them to use Latham Taxi Inc. as their transportation provider. These payments were intended to generate additional Medicaid reimbursements and to sustain the fraudulent billing scheme.

As alleged, the defendants caused the submission of false and fraudulent claims through the New York State Department of Health, which processed Medicaid reimbursements through systems located in Rensselaer County and transmitted payments through interstate wire communications.

The alleged conduct resulted in the fraudulent receipt of at least $666,281.42 in Medicaid funds.

Zishan, Javed, and Shaikh are charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud and health care fraud, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, and a term of supervised release of up to three years. The defendants are also charged with conspiracy to pay health care kickbacks, which carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, and a term of supervised release of up to three years. A defendant’s sentence is imposed by a judge based on the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

The defendants were arraigned yesterday in Albany, New York, before United States Magistrate Judge Paul J. Evangelista. Zishan was detained pending trial, Javed was detained pending a detention hearing scheduled for June 24, 2026, and Ghazali was released on conditions pending trial. The trial will be held before Senior United States District Judge Frederick J. Scullin

The charges in the superseding indictment are merely accusations. The defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

The Northern District of New York worked with the Department’s Health Care Fraud Unit of the Fraud Division, together with the FBI, HHS-OIG, and the New York State Comptroller’s Office, with additional assistance from the New York State Office of the Medicaid Inspector General.

Assistant United States Attorneys Benjamin S. Clark and Adam J. Katz are prosecuting the case.

The following information was released by the North Carolina Department of Insurance:

North CarolinaInsurance Commissioner Mike Causey today announced the arrest of Edward Elijah Skinner, 52, of 3910 Charleston Park Drive, Raleigh. Skinner was charged with insurance fraud and attempting to obtain property by false pretense, both felonies.

Special agents with the Department of Insurance’s Criminal Investigations Division accuse Skinner of making a material misrepresentation during an automobile insurance claim by saying his vehicle had no prior damage and attempted to claim the damage occurred on Nov. 27, 2025. Photos revealed the claimed damage was identical to a previous claim filed on July 25, 2025. According to the arrest warrant, Skinner’s fraudulent claims would have secured him a $1,082.25 insurance payout from National General Insurance Corp.

Skinner was arrested July 2 and given a $5,000 secured bond.

Commissioner Causey encourages North Carolinians to help keep insurance premiums low by reporting suspicious fraud. “Insurance fraud is not a victimless crime,” Commissioner Causey said. “It hits all of us in the pocket through higher premiums.”

A Meriden man who co-owns a construction company in the city was arrested on Tuesday and charged with not providing his employees with workers’ compensation insurance.

Calros Gutama, 28, is one of the owners of C&D Gutama Construction, LLC.

He was arrested by Inspectors from the Workers’ Compensation Fraud Control Unit in the Office of the Chief State’s Attorney, according to a report from the state Division of Criminal Justice.

Gutama is charged officially with one count of noncompliance with insurance requirements.

His arrest warrant affidavit says that a joint visit by the Connecticut Department of Labor and investigators with the Workers’ Compensation Fraud Control Unit to a Newington worksite on Feb. 22, 2024, showed that C&D Gutama Construction, which was hired to install roofs on newly constructed apartment buildings, didn’t offer the mandated workers’ compensation coverage for its workers.

Under state law, businesses must demonstrate to the Workers’ Compensation Commission their solvency and financial ability to compensate injured employees or beneficiaries.

If not, the company must carry workers’ compensation insurance to cover the full liability.

Gutama was released on a $10,000 non-surety bond and is scheduled to appear in Meriden Superior Court on July 15.

Non-compliance with insurance requirements is a Class D felony that is punishable by one to five years in prison and a fine up to $5,000.

Prosecutors emphasize that the charges are merely allegations, and Gutama will be offered an opportunity to prove his innocence in court.

In addition to the Workers’ Compensation Fraud Control Unit, the Connecticut Department of Labor, Wage & Workplace Standards Division and Rocky Hill Police Department contributed to the investigation.

A Pittsfield man has been indicted by a federal grand jury in connection with his alleged false impersonation of a United States Army veteran for over 30 years to obtain medical care at Veterans Affairs (VA) medical centers and other benefits.

James D. Sommers, whose age is unknown, was indicted with one count each of health care fraud, false statements and aggravated identity theft. Sommers was previously charged by criminal complaint and arrested in March 2026 at Soldier On, a facility that provides transitional housing to United States military veterans in Pittsfield, Mass., where he was staying under the guise of the victim’s identity. He remains detained in federal custody.

According to the charging documents, beginning as early as 1994, Sommers has falsely impersonated a United States Army veteran who served honorably from 1979 to 1982. It is alleged that Sommers used the victim’s stolen identity to obtain thousands of dollars in Social Security benefits and nearly $30,000 in medical care and medications from VA medical centers. Most recently, Sommers falsely impersonated the victim on Feb. 20, 2026, to obtain medical care at the VA Medical Center in Northampton, Mass.

It is further alleged that Sommers has numerous prior convictions in New York State in 1994, 1997, 2001 and 2011 all under the victim’s name, for offenses including: criminal possession of stolen property; intent to obtain transportation without paying; sale of a controlled substance; possession of a forged instrument; attempted grand larceny; grand larceny; and forgery.

The charge of health care fraud provides for a sentence of up to 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. The charge of false statements provides for a sentence of up to five years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. The charge of aggravated identity theft provides for a mandatory consecutive sentence of two years. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.

United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and Christopher Algieri Special Agent in Charge of the United States Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General, Northeast Field Office made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Steven H. Breslow of the Springfield Branch Office is prosecuting the case.

The details contained in the charging document are allegations. The defendant is presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in the court of law.

FBI arrests man in $3.7B ‘Medicare scam,’ Houston seniors impacted