A 38-year-old Russian national appeared in Houston federal court Thursday to face charges that he laundered over $1.2 million related to a massive health care fraud scheme targeting Medicare Advantage Organizations.
Nikolai Buzolin, originally from Tyumen, Russia, is accused by federal officials of using a shell corporation to transfer money taken from programs intended to support elderly people with medical equipment.
According to court records, Buzolin founded Verisola, Inc., in Houston in July 2025 and registered it as a provider of durable medical equipment. Within nine days of the company’s inception, he allegedly opened six distinct bank accounts at six different banks, later adding two more that fall.
According to the indictment, Buzolin lied to these financial institutions by submitting false paperwork naming himself as the only owner and president in order to conceal who was really pulling the strings. Between August 2025 and January 2026, Verisola allegedly flooded insurance companies with almost $400 million in false claims for things such as glucose monitors and orthotic braces that were never delivered to patients.
Buzolin’s controlled accounts received at least $1.7 million in reimbursements as a result of these false bills. Prosecutors claim he then moved funds between accounts for no valid business reason before sending at least $1.2 million to various overseas businesses and foreign bank accounts.
The plot came to an abrupt halt when Buzolin allegedly left Houston for Los Angeles. He bought a same-day, one-way ticket to Moscow. However, FBI officers apprehended him before he could board the plane. He has been in detention ever then.
“The Fraud Section leads the Criminal Division’s efforts to combat health care fraud through the Health Care Fraud Strike Force Program,” the Department of Justice noted in a statement. Since 2007, the program has charged over 6,200 defendants for billing more than $45 billion in fraudulent claims.
Buzolin is now charged with conspiracy to commit money laundering. If a jury finds him guilty, he faces up to 20 years in federal prison. A collaborative task team made up of the FBI, HHS-OIG, and Texas state officials is presently investigating the issue.