Three Members of International Criminal Organization Sentenced to Prison in $2 Billion Telemedicine Healthcare Fraud Scheme

Three members of a Moscow-based international criminal organization have been sentenced to lengthy prison terms for their roles in a nearly $2 billion healthcare fraud conspiracy that exploited private health insurers through a network of telemedicine providers and pharmacies across the United States. Anthony Santamaria and Hershel Tsikman were each sentenced to 120 months in federal prison, while Hafizullah Ebady received 97 months.

In addition to imprisonment, Santamaria was ordered to forfeit $3.2 million, Ebady more than $1.8 million, and all three defendants were ordered to pay restitution in an amount to be determined. A fourth defendant was previously sentenced to time served, and three additional co-defendants are awaiting sentencing. The leader of the criminal organization, Brian Sutton, a U.S. citizen believed to be residing abroad, remains at large.

According to court filings, between 2017 and 2022 the defendants operated call centers—initially in Utah and later relocated to Russia—that contacted beneficiaries of private health plans and offered medications at no cost and without any medical examination. The defendants generated fraudulent prescriptions under physicians’ names and National Provider Identifier numbers, often without any telemedicine visit ever occurring. They acquired over 75 pharmacies across the United States and trained Moscow-based “billers” to remotely submit electronic reimbursement requests.

The scheme resulted in over $1.97 billion in fraudulent prescriptions and private insurers paying more than $758 million. The defendants concealed their involvement through aliases, shell companies, straw owners, and encrypted communications. This case reflects the government’s aggressive pursuit of international criminal networks that exploit the U.S. healthcare system, demonstrating that federal authorities will pursue fraudsters regardless of where they operate.