In brief: DOJ’s $10.6B takedown, Current Health’s Best Buy breakup, AdaptHealth’s deal close
By HME News Staff
Updated 8:30 AM CDT, Mon June 30, 2025
BROOKLYN, N.Y. - In the largest health care fraud case by loss amount ever charged by the U.S. Department of Justice, 11 individuals associated with a transnational criminal organization based in Russa and elsewhere have been charged with allegedly:
- Purchasing dozens of durable medical equipment (DME) companies
- Paying foreign nationals and others to serve as nominee owners
- Creating fictitious corporate records that falsely indicated that the nominee owners controlled the companies
- Once controlled by foreign-based leadership, rapidly billing billions of dollars in false and fraudulent claims to Medicare.
The did so by allegedly stealing the identities and personal identifying information of more than 1 million Americans in all 50 states, including elderly and disabled Americans,
The charges
Imam Nakhmatullaev, Svjatoslav Jakovlev, Eric Juergens, Jaan Juergens, Ilja Karunas, Juri Karunas, Jason Onoufrienko, Renek Tiku, Vladislav Turaskin, Kevin Valdhans, and Vjatseslav Zogolev were charged with conspiracy to commit money laundering. Nakhmatullaev, Jakovlev, Eric Juergens, Jaan Juergens, Onoufrienko, Tiku, Turaskin, Valdhans, and Zogolev were also charged with conspiracy to commit health care fraud, and wire fraud, and Jakovlev, Valdhans, Jaan Juergens, and Onoufrienko were each charged with one count of health care fraud.
The cost
The organization submitted more than $10.6 billion in fraudulent Medicare claims for DME. HHS-OIG and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) successfully prevented the organization from receiving the vast majority of the money that it conspired to steal from Medicare. The fraudulent scheme nonetheless resulted in payments to scheme DME companies from Medicare Supplemental Insurers estimated to be nearly $900 million and Medicare payments to the scheme DME companies of approximately $41 million.
The alleged scheme – in detail
The DOJ says the organization engaged in a sophisticated money laundering scheme involving health care fraud proceeds. They exploited the U.S. financial system by using fake documentation and nominee owners—many unlawfully present in the U.S.—to open bank accounts under the names of fraudulent DME companies. These accounts received funds from Medicare and supplemental insurers, making the money appear legitimate. The organization then transferred the funds to shell companies and foreign banks in countries like China, Singapore, Pakistan, Israel and Turkey, and also used cryptocurrency to obscure the money trail.
To avoid detection and continue operations, the organization frequently changed identities, recruited new nominees and created new companies. They relied heavily on virtual private servers (VPSs) to hide their digital footprints and scale their fraud globally.
The bigger picture
The charges filed in the Eastern District of New York are part of the 2025 National Health Care Fraud Takedown, a coordinated law enforcement action across the United States led by the DOJ’s Criminal Division, Fraud Section Health Care Fraud Unit.
Another DME-related scheme part of the takedown
Boris Manaev is charged with health care fraud and unlawful monetary transactions in connection with an $8.2 million scheme. As alleged in the indictment, Manaev, the owner of BB Medical Equipment Inc., billed Medicare $8.2 million for medically unnecessary DME that was shipped nationwide. He spent some of the proceeds of the fraud on improvements to his home. Trial Attorney Patrick J. Campbell of the Northeast Strike Force is in charge of the prosecution.
AdaptHealth sells off infusion assets
Company uses proceeds to make prepayment on outstanding term loan
CONSHOHOCKEN, Pa. – AdaptHealth has completed the sale of certain infusion assets in its Wellness at Home segment to a third party.
The move was previously disclosed and the transaction was completed in June.
“The disposition of certain infusion assets marks yet another significant step in our effort to sharpen our strategic focus by exiting ancillary product lines,” said Suzanne Foster, CEO. “Additionally, the sale advances our commitment to debt reduction to unlock value for our shareholders.”
The company used the proceeds of the sale, and other funds, to make a prepayment of $65 million on its outstanding term loan. This prepayment was in addition to a previously announced $70 million prepayment on the term loan in May, funded primarily with proceeds from the sale of certain incontinence assets.
The products included in the sale of certain infusion assets represented approximately $52 million of annual revenue and approximately $5 million of annual adjusted EBITDA. Additionally, the AdaptHealth projects $30 million of cash taxes due on the gains from this sale.
To reflect these impacts, AdaptHealth is revising its full-year revenue guidance to a range of $3,150 million to $3,290 million, its full-year 2025 adjusted EBITDA to a range of $662 million to $702 million, and its full-year 2025 free cash flow to a range of $170 million to $190 million.
Current Health no longer part of Best Buy
BOSTON – Current Health, which was acquired by Best Buy in 2021, is once again an independent business under the leadership of CEO and Co-Founder Chris McGhee.
A number of other members of the company’s team, including Co-Founder Stewart Whiting, are also returning.
“We’ll be recommitting to our mission and building a world-leading organization with an integrated and intelligent solution for shifting more health care into home and community settings,” he stated in a blog on Current Health’s website titled “A personal message from Chris McGhee, CEO and co-founder of Current Health.” “Stay tuned.”
Since launching in 2014, McGhee says Current Health’s platform has:
- Become the leading platform for hospital-at-home, oncology-at-home and in a number of other care-at-home markets.
- Facilitated care for more than one-third of all patients in the U.S. who have had a hospital-at-home experience.
- Helped more than 70,000 patients across care models receive the health care they need from home.
“We’re proud of the work we’ve done so far and look forward to the next phase of this journey,” he said.
McGhee says “we are still in the early innings of the shift from hospital-based care to home and community-based care” and “there’s much more to do and Current Health has much more to give.”
Best Buy initiated a major restructuring effort within its health business in the first quarter of fiscal year 2026, incurring $109 million in restructuring charges.
Best Buy has several partnerships with leading health systems such as Mass General Brigham, Geisinger and Atrium Health to offer in-home care and remote monitoring to patients with chronic health conditions.
Aeroflow invests in Western North Carolina
ASHEVILLE, N.C. - Aeroflow Health has launched a new philanthropic giving program that aims to give back several million dollars to the western North Carolina community over the next five years.
Along with offering financial support to local non-profit organizations, Aeroflow is empowering employees to actively participate in building a stronger and healthier community by providing 16 hours of annual Community Day PTO for volunteer work.
“Investing in Western North Carolina means investing in the health and well-being of our employees, neighbors, friends, family, and future generations,” said Casey Hite, CEO of Aeroflow Health. “Rooted in our belief that true success is measured by the positive impact we have on people’s lives, our goal is to support the communities we serve by contributing to the local organizations that uplift our neighborhoods and by encouraging all employees to step out of the office and make hands-on contributions to local causes. As a result, we aim to achieve a 25% annual increase in total volunteer participation hours from our team members locally and those spread out across the country.”
Aeroflow’s new philanthropy giving program will support the following organizations: Asheville Buncombe Community Christian Ministry, Mountain Area Health Education Center, Asheville Area Habitat for Humanity, United Way of Asheville and Buncombe County, Meals on Wheels of Asheville Buncombe County, Boys & Girls Club of Henderson County, and Haywood Street Community Development. These organizations were selected for their focus on improving access to health care, providing reliable housing options and offering learning opportunities essential for creating pathways to expanded opportunities and improved well-being.
In addition, Aeroflow will dedicate a portion of the funds to community initiatives that are important to its employees. Employees can submit philanthropy requests through a streamlined portal, allowing monetary donations to be directly given to the causes they care most about. Aeroflow’s philanthropy committee thoughtfully evaluates organizations on transparency, volunteer opportunities, and mission fit to ensure meaningful impact for underserved populations across Western North Carolina and beyond.
This five-year philanthropic commitment follows a string of efforts aimed at uplifting the Asheville community, including offering financial support to local organizations, women-owned businesses, and hurricane relief support for employees.
Lifeway Mobility taps Frank Sacco to lead expansion into NYC
HARTFORD, Conn. - Lifeway Mobility has announced that Frank Sacco, a U.S. Marine Corps. veteran with 20 years of industry experience, will lead the company’s expansion of services to Long Island and the New York City metropolitan area. Sacco’s team will include key members from the Deer Park, N.Y.-office of Center Span Medical, which Lifeway Medical recently acquired, as well as newly recruited accessibility experts. “I’m thrilled to join Lifeway Mobility and bring my years of experience serving the Long Island area to my next chapter in this growing industry,” said Frank Sacco, GM of Lifeway Mobility Long Island. I’m humbled to lead Lifeway’s expansion in my local communities. Joining Lifeway Mobility is a career highlight — it’s deeper than a customer transaction or servicing a piece of equipment. We change lives, allowing families to stay safely in their homes. When your personal values align with company values, we can deliver a positive experience for all. Our team looks forward to helping our neighbors with limited mobility by providing accessibility solutions that improve comfort, independence, and quality of life.” Initial offerings in the area will include stairlifts, wheelchair ramps, platform lifts, transfer aids and bathroom safety solutions. Lifeway Mobility announced in June that it acquired Center Span, a national provider of home safety and accessibility products serving veterans and people with limited mobility, and Redispan, a manufacturer of patented wheelchair ramps. With the acquisition, Lifeway expands coverage to more than 35 states nationwide.
DarioHealth, GreenKey seek to ‘reshape’ sleep apnea
NEW YORK and SAN FRANCISCO – A new strategic commercial agreement unites DarioHealth’s clinically validated cardiometabolic and behavioral artificial intelligence-powered health solutions with GreenKey’s “sleep-first” approach to obstructive sleep apnea management. The companies say they aim to drive awareness and secure payer contracts through a robust multi-channel marketing plan designed to engage Commercial, ASO ('Administrative Services Only), Medicaid and Medicare Advantage plans, as well as self-funded employers, consultants, brokers and value-based care providers. "We believe that this agreement marks a pivotal step forward in reshaping how chronic conditions like sleep apnea and cardiometabolic disorders are addressed in tandem," said Steven Nelson, chief commercial officer at Dario. "By combining our real-time engagement and data-driven platform with GreenKey's powerful OSA cost-saving engine, we are offering payers a differentiated, value-based care solution that not only improves health outcomes but significantly reduces the total cost of care. This collaboration opens access to a multi-billion-dollar market and aligns perfectly with our mission to provide integrated, data-driven solutions for the most prevalent and costly chronic conditions facing healthcare today." The companies say they will use a mix of targeted outreach, thought leadership and high-impact content to connect with decision-makers and advance adoption of this innovative, value-based care model. They say benefits of the model include:
- Improved member outcomes through enhanced sleep health, optimized GLP-1 utilization and effective comorbidity management
- Reduced health care costs with decreased emergency department and inpatient utilization
- Increased productivity from better sleep and overall health
- Actionable data Insights to continuously optimize program performance
BraunAbility makes Accessibility 100 list
WINAMAC, Ind. - BraunAbility has been honored by Forbes in its first-ever Accessibility 100 list recognizing the top global innovators and impact-makers in accessibility. The company says its inclusion on the list reflects its longstanding leadership in advancing mobility and independence worldwide. “BraunAbility was founded on the belief that mobility should never be a barrier to independence,” said Craig Schrimsher, president of BraunAbility Americas. “Being recognized by Forbes in its Accessibility 100 list is a testament to the impact we’ve made in empowering individuals worldwide. We will continue pushing the boundaries of accessible mobility, ensuring that more people have the freedom and independence they deserve.” For nearly 50 years, BraunAbility says it has been at the forefront of innovative, reliable mobility solutions, offering wheelchair-accessible vehicles, wheelchair lifts, and innovative seating, storage, and securement products. Founded by accessibility pioneer Ralph Braun, it says it has empowered more than 1 million individuals, making mobility more inclusive and accessible. The full list of honorees can be found at https://www.forbes.com/lists/accessibility/.
NCART: Complete survey on rear anti-tip devices
ROCHESTER, N.Y. - NCART is asking providers to complete a survey from the Wheelchair Research Team at Dalhousie University on rear anti-tip devices (RADs) for manual wheelchairs. This 20-minute survey focuses on a new design, the Arc-RAD, that the team hopes to refine and commercialize. “Your insights could directly influence the next generation of RADs and ensure that they truly meet the needs of riders and providers alike,” NCART states. “We also hope that you will find the survey interesting and informative.” Answers to the survey will be kept confidential. Take the survey here. Have questions? Email wsp@dal.ca.
Doc sentenced for $6.3M brace scheme
DETROIT – A Michigan doctor has been sentenced to four years in prison for a $6.3 million Medicare fraud scheme in which elderly and disabled patients were sent thousands of orthotic braces that they did not need. According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Sophie Toya, M.D., 56, of Bloomfield Hills, prescribed more than 7,900 orthotic braces to more than 2,600 Medicare patients during a six-month period. The patients were solicited through deceptive television commercials offering free back braces. When they called the advertised telephone number, they were persuaded to accept braces for other parts of their bodies, with the promise that Medicare would pay. Toya spoke to some of these patients briefly over the phone, and she had no contact at all with the others. Toya nonetheless signed orders prescribing more than 7,900 braces, including prescribing four or more braces to nearly 1,000 patients. Toya prescribed as many as 136 braces in a day, 12 braces for a single patient, and numerous braces for undercover agents posing as Medicare beneficiaries after speaking with them by telephone for less than a minute. The prescriptions and accompanying medical records signed by Toya falsely represented that the braces were medically necessary and that she diagnosed the beneficiaries, had a plan of care for them, and recommended that they receive certain additional treatment. Toya’s false prescriptions were used by brace supply companies to bill Medicare more than $6.3 million. Toya was paid approximately $120,000 by purported telemedicine companies in exchange for signing fraudulent prescriptions. Toya was convicted following an eight-day trial on one count of health care fraud and five counts of false statements relating to health care matters. Toya was also ordered to pay $3,606,935 in restitution and $120,475 in forfeiture.
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