Fugitive indicted in Louisiana added to FBI Most Wanted list in $547M Medicare fraud case

NEW ORLEANS (WVUE) - A fugitive indicted in Louisiana has been added to the FBI’s Most Wanted Fraudsters list as federal officials announced hundreds of new health care fraud indictments tied to alleged schemes involving billions of dollars.

Khalid Ahmed Satary was indicted in the Eastern District of Louisiana in 2019 and accused in a health care fraud scheme involving diagnostic testing labs that billed Medicare for more than $547 million.

The Justice Department announced 455 defendants are charged in cases involving alleged false billing, kickbacks, unnecessary procedures and other schemes that officials said stole at least $6.5 billion in taxpayer money.

Officials said it is the second-largest number of defendants ever charged in a single health care fraud operation.

Louisiana federal case

At a DOJ news conference, FBI Director Kash Patel announced Satary as an addition to the FBI’s Most Wanted Fraudsters list.

Satary was indicted Sept. 26, 2019, in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana in New Orleans.

He was charged with health care fraud, wire fraud, conspiracy to pay and receive kickbacks, and money laundering.

After his indictment, Satary was released on bond but failed to appear for a court hearing, according to the FBI. A federal arrest warrant was issued Nov. 23, 2022, after he allegedly violated pretrial release.

Satary has been a federal fugitive since December 2022.

Alleged Medicare fraud scheme

Federal prosecutors said Satary owned and operated several diagnostic testing laboratories, including Performance Laboratories in Oklahoma, Lazarus Services in Louisiana and Clio Labs in Georgia.

Satary is accused of taking part in a scheme to solicit medically unnecessary cancer genetic tests from Medicare beneficiaries through telemarketing and health fairs.

Prosecutors said the tests were approved by telemedicine doctors who did not treat the beneficiaries and often did not speak with them before ordering the tests.

Satary and his co-conspirators, through companies they controlled, allegedly paid telemarketers illegal kickbacks and bribes in exchange for doctors’ orders and medically unnecessary tests.

Performance Laboratories, Clio Labs and Lazarus Services collectively billed Medicare for more than $547 million, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Louisiana.

Federal prosecutors said the government also seized 16 bank accounts and restrained real estate from Satary.

The FBI said Satary is believed to be hiding overseas and has ties to Dubai, United Arab Emirates.

The FBI and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General are offering a reward of up to $150,000 for information leading to Satary’s arrest and conviction.

Satary also uses the aliases Khalid Satary, Khalid A. Satary, Khalio A. Satary, Rocky Satary and DJ Rock Satary.

He was born in 1972 and is described as about 5 feet, 7 inches tall and 150 pounds, with black hair and brown eyes.

Anyone with information about Satary’s whereabouts is urged to contact a local FBI office. In the United States, tips can be reported by calling 1-800-CALL-FBI, or 1-800-225-5324, or submitted online at tips.fbi.gov.

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