Who Is Khalid Satary? FBI Most Wanted Fraudster Arrested in USD 547 Million Medicare Fraud Case
Khalid Satary, a 54-year-old fugitive accused of orchestrating a USD 547 million Medicare fraud scheme involving unnecessary genetic testing, was arrested in the Middle East after evading authorities for over three years. He faces multiple federal charges and appeared in court in the Eastern District of Virginia this week.
Khalid Satary, a 54-year-old foreign national accused of orchestrating one of the largest health care fraud schemes ever charged by the US Department of Justice, was arrested this week after evading authorities for more than three years. Satary was indicted in 2019 in the Eastern District of Louisiana for allegedly running a scheme that fraudulently billed Medicare over USD 547 million (approximately INR 47,000 crore) for unnecessary genetic testing between 2016 and 2019. He was apprehended in the Middle East on Monday, July 20, and flown back to the United States, where he made his initial court appearance in the Eastern District of Virginia on Tuesday, July 21.
His capture marks the third arrest under the FBI's newly created Most Wanted Fraudsters List, launched just weeks earlier in June.
Who Is Khalid Satary
According to the Department of Justice, Satary owned and operated several diagnostic testing laboratories across the United States. Prosecutors allege he conspired with dozens of patient recruiters, telemarketing call centers, and telemedicine companies to run deceptive marketing campaigns alongside illegal kickbacks and bribes.
The scheme generated cancer genetic test samples that were reimbursed between USD 10,000 and USD 20,000 each. Through his network of laboratories, Satary allegedly billed Medicare for more than half a billion dollars while also paying millions in illegal kickbacks and bribes to doctors and patient recruiters. Why Did FBI Put USD 50,000 Reward on Goldy Brar Aka Satinderjeet Singh?
FBI Most Wanted Fraudster Arrested in USD 547 Million Medicare Fraud Case
FBI MIAMI CASE UPDATE: The FBI’s successful FTOC (foreign transfer of custody) today of Most Wanted Fraudster Khalid Ahmed Satary from the Middle East is another example of the FBI’s commitment to bring financial fraudsters to justice. Satary faces charges for his alleged role in… pic.twitter.com/sh7ILye5v8
— FBI Miami (@FBIMiamiFL) July 21, 2026
The Charges Against Him
Satary faces multiple federal charges, including conspiracy to commit health care fraud and wire fraud, health care fraud, conspiracy to defraud the United States, conspiracy to pay and receive illegal health care kickbacks and bribes, and conspiracy to commit money laundering. Who Is Harmanveer Singh? FBI Wants Indian National in Multi-Nation Drug Trafficking Ring.
If convicted, he faces a maximum of 20 years in prison for the wire fraud and money laundering conspiracy counts, 10 years for the health care fraud counts, and five years for the count of conspiracy to defraud the United States.
How He Evaded Authorities
After his 2019 indictment, Satary was released on bond over the government's objection, with a condition barring him from working in the health care field. Prosecutors allege he violated this by continuing to conspire with Houston-based laboratories in Texas to submit fraudulent genetic testing claims to Medicare.
A federal arrest warrant was issued for Satary in December 2022 after he failed to appear for a scheduled court hearing and allegedly fled the country. He remained a fugitive for over three years before being tracked down.
The Arrest
Satary was apprehended by regional partners in the Middle East on July 20, 2026. At the time of his arrest, he was found in possession of a fake Mexican passport under a false identity. He was subsequently transferred into US custody and flown to Washington Dulles International Airport before appearing in court.
FBI Director Kash Patel called the arrest part of a "historic run of success" for the Most Wanted Fraudsters List, noting it was the 27th high-value fugitive returned to the US by the agency since June. Acting Attorney General Blanche said the case sends a clear message that fraudsters exploiting American taxpayers "will find and prosecute you, no matter where you are."
The FBI and the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General are investigating the case, with assistance from US Customs and Border Protection International Operations.
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jul 22, 2026 07:26 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).
