Azerbaijani detained while trying to leave the U.S. pleads guilty in $137 million scheme
Azerbaijani citizen Sevindik Guseynov, whose detention was reported by 1news.az last summer, has pleaded guilty in the United States to three counts of health care fraud.
As 1news.az reports, citing the U.S. Department of Justice, the case involves a large-scale scheme under which fictitious claims for reimbursement of the cost of medical equipment totaling at least $137 million were submitted to Medicare Advantage programs.
Guseynov, 48, who previously resided in Sunnyvale, California, headed Vonyes Inc., a company formally engaged in supplying medical equipment.
According to the U.S. Department of Justice, from January 2025 until his detention, Guseynov, together with other individuals in the United States and abroad, took part in a scheme involving the mass submission of claims for payments from Medicare Advantage organizations.
Through Vonyes Inc., thousands of claims were filed for reimbursement of expenses for medical equipment, including wound dressings and orthopedic braces, allegedly intended for patients.
However, as Guseynov himself admitted, the equipment listed in the claims was not supplied to patients, was not necessary for them, and was not prescribed by medical professionals. Patient and physician data were used to submit the claims.
The total amount of the claims submitted in this manner was at least $137 million.
At the same time, new case materials clarify an important detail: the figure of $137 million does not refer to funds actually received, but to the amount of fictitious claims submitted for payment.
Guseynov admitted that he received reimbursement checks totaling approximately $2.8 million and deposited them into Vonyes bank accounts. He then transferred most of the funds to accounts in Hong Kong.
As 1news.az reported earlier, in July 2025 it became known that an Azerbaijani citizen had been detained in California. At the time, it was reported that Guseynov had been detained while attempting to leave the United States and was suspected of large-scale fraud involving the health insurance system.
Now the case has moved to a new stage: Guseynov is not merely a defendant, but has officially admitted his guilt.
According to the U.S. Department of Justice, a federal grand jury indicted him on September 25, 2025. Under a plea agreement, he pleaded guilty to three counts of health care fraud.
Guseynov is currently in custody.
Sentencing is scheduled for February 2, 2027. Under the relevant provision of U.S. law, he faces up to 10 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000.
The final punishment will be determined by the federal court.
The investigation was conducted by the Office of Inspector General of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services together with the FBI.
Read on the topic:
Azerbaijani tried to flee the U.S. after misappropriating $137 million
