Irina Polvanova, 47, Roman Shamalov, 47, and Albert “Jeff” Yagudayev, 35, are residents of Queens, New York City, New York, United States. They are accused of participating in a years-long scheme to defraud Medicaid, Medicare and private insurance companies out of at least around $20 million.
Medicaid is a U.S. government program that provides health insurance for adults and children with limited income and resources. Medicare primarily provides health insurance for Americans aged 65 and older.
From 2017 to 2023, Polvanova, Shamalov and five others allegedly trafficked in black-market human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) medication and exploited low-income individuals who had been prescribed the medication. The medications were allegedly distributed to pharmacies owned and operated by Polvanova, Shamalov and another conspirator.
As part of the scheme, Polvanova, Yagudayev and four others allegedly funded and paid illegal kickbacks to patients in order to recruit patients to their respective pharmacies. The six suspects allegedly tried to recruit new patients regularly to increase the number of prescription medications for which their pharmacies could fraudulently bill government insurance.
On October 20, 2023, Polvanova, Shamalov and Yagudayev were arrested. On the same day, the unsealing of superseding indictment charging the three and seven others was announced.
Polvanova was charged with mail fraud, conspiracy to commit wire fraud and health care fraud, conspiracy to commit money laundering, conspiracy to violate the Anti-Kickback Statute and conspiracy to defraud the U.S. Shamalov was charged with conspiracy to commit money laundering, mail fraud and conspiracy to defraud the U.S. and Yagudayev was charged with conspiracy to violate the Anti-Kickback Statute.
CONAN Daily 