Russian Citizen Charged with Laundering Over $1.2M Connected to $400M in Fraudulent Medicare Claims

 

A Russian national made his initial appearance in Houston, Texas, today on a charge that he laundered over $1.2 million derived from a health care fraud scheme that targeted Medicare Advantage Organizations (MAOs) that administer Medicare Part C.

According to court documents, Nikolai Buzolin, 38, formerly of Houston, Texas, and originally of Tyumen, Russia, established Verisola, Inc. in Houston and registered it as a durable medical equipment (DME) company in July 2025. Over the course of just nine days from July through August 2025, Buzolin allegedly opened six different bank accounts in the name of Verisola at six different financial institutions. He opened an additional two bank accounts at two other financial institutions in September and October 2025. To disguise the true ownership and control of Verisola, Buzolin allegedly submitted false documentation to these financial institutions listing himself as the sole owner, member or president, when in fact he did not have beneficial ownership or control of Verisola.

From August 2025 through January 2026, Verisola allegedly submitted over $400 million in false and fraudulent claims to MAOs for DME, including orthotic braces and glucose monitors that were never actually provided to patients. Based on these fraudulent claims, the MAOs collectively reimbursed Verisola at least $1.7 million, which was deposited into the various Verisola bank accounts that Buzolin opened. Buzolin then allegedly moved these fraud proceeds between bank accounts for no legitimate business purpose. Buzolin and his co-conspirators wired at least $1.2 million of fraud proceeds to overseas entities and bank accounts.

According to the indictment, after Verisola wound down its fraudulent billing scheme, Buzolin traveled from Houston, Texas, to Los Angeles, California, where he purchased a same-day airline ticket for a one-way flight to Moscow, Russia. The FBI arrested Buzolin before he boarded the flight, and he remains detained pending trial.

Buzolin is charged with conspiracy to commit money laundering by concealing and disguising the true nature, location, source and ownership of the fraud proceeds and by engaging in financial transactions greater than $10,000 knowing that they involved the proceeds of unlawful activity. If convicted, he faces a statutory maximum penalty of 20 years in prison.

Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei for the Southern District of Texas; Acting Deputy Inspector General for Investigations Scott J. Lampert of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG); Acting Special Agent in Charge Jason M. Hudson of the FBI’s Houston Field Office; Chief William Marlowe of the Texas Attorney General’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit; and Commissioner Amanda Crawford of the Texas Department of Insurance made the announcement.

HHS-OIG, FBI, the Texas Medicaid Fraud Control Unit and the Texas Department of Insurance are investigating the case.

Trial Attorneys Andrew Tamayo and Emily Reeder-Ricchetti of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section are prosecuting the case.

The Fraud Section leads the Criminal Division’s efforts to combat health care fraud through the Health Care Fraud Strike Force Program. Since March 2007, this program, currently comprised of eight strike forces operating in federal districts across the country, has charged more than 6,200 defendants who collectively billed federal health care programs and private insurers more than $45 billion. In addition, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, working in conjunction with the Office of the Inspector General for the Department of Health and Human Services, are taking steps to hold providers accountable for their involvement in health care fraud schemes. More information can be found at www.justice.gov/criminal-fraud/health-care-fraud-unit.

An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

Manager Of Investment Firm Pleads Guilty To Defrauding Investors In “Pre-IPO” Scheme

 

United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Jay Clayton, announced that GIOVANNI PENNETTA pled guilty today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Gary Stein to wire fraud for running a scheme to fraudulently induce multiple investment clients to part with millions of dollars in exchange for economic exposure to shares of non-public companies. 

“Giovanni Pennetta, manager of a New York-based financial firm, raised millions of dollars by claiming he could give investors access to shares of private companies before they went public,” said U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton.  “That access did not exist.  Instead, Pennetta diverted more than $10 million for his own benefit.  Protecting the integrity of New York’s public and private financial markets is a central part of our Office’s mission, and for the safety of investors, we will continue to hold fraudsters like Pennetta criminally accountable.” 

According to the Indictment, plea agreement, and statements made in court:

Over a period of roughly six years, PENNETTA, the manager of a Manhattan-based investment adviser and private equity firm, engaged in a scheme to defraud investors who had entrusted him with millions of dollars to access shares of private companies.  PENNETTA induced investors to contribute capital to his private equity fund by promising them economic exposure to shares of pre-IPO companies.  Instead, PENNETTA misappropriated more than $10 million in investor money, moving much of it to his personal bank account.

PENNETTA, 50, of New York, New York, and Italy, pled guilty to one count of wire fraud, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison.

The maximum potential sentence in this case is prescribed by Congress and provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the judge.  PENNETTA is scheduled to be sentenced on June 9, 2026.

Mr. Clayton praised the outstanding work of the FBI and the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.

This prosecution is being handled by the Office’s Securities and Commodities Fraud Task Force. 

Attorney General James Releases Statement on Ruling in Housing Discrimination Lawsuit

 

New York Attorney General Letitia James today released the following statement on the New York Appellate Division, Third Judicial Department’s ruling on source of income protections for renters:

“Every New Yorker deserves access to safe and dignified housing regardless of their income or background. Housing vouchers help thousands of New Yorkers stay in their homes, make ends meet, and raise their families. My office has always fought to protect New Yorkers’ right to housing. We are reviewing today’s decision.”

MAMDANI ADMINISTRATION ANNOUNCES PLAN TO CLOSE BELLEVUE SHELTER DUE TO DETERIORATING CONDITIONS

 

Citing severe disrepair, the Department of Social Services and Department of Homeless Services have prepared a short-term operational plan to vacate 30th Street and relocate critical functions to other sites 

TODAY, the Mamdani Administration announced a plan to close the 30th Street Shelter, also known as Bellevue, by the end of April 2026, and relocate current inhabitants to other facilities.   

  

Toward the end of the last Administration, new shelter sitings stopped almost entirely – and as a result, the current Administration inherited several shelter sites that had been neglected for years. One of these sites is the Bellevue shelter. Although there is no immediate danger, the site, which originally opened in 1931, is in a severe state of disrepair, and the decision to vacate the site is a proactive measure driven by safety and expert engineering guidance.  

  

“My administration is focused on ensuring every New Yorker experiencing homelessness not only has access to shelter, but to spaces that are safe, humane and truly livable. We cannot accept a system that treats people without dignity or stability,” said Mayor Zohran Kwame Mamdani. “As we move forward, our city will double down on protecting the safety, continuity and quality of services — because every New Yorker deserves a secure place to rest, to recover and to rebuild their life with dignity.”  

  

The Department of Social Services (DSS) and Department of Homeless Services (DHS) will immediately implement an operational plan to vacate 30th Street and relocate the critical functions to other sites. There are approximately 250 individuals in the shelter, and the DSS is working to relocate these individuals by mid-March 2026. The City is maintaining the same level of shelter beds but transitioning services to safer facilities. Shelter intake will remain in Manhattan to ensure continuity of services. New intake for adult men will be at 8 E 3rd St, and intake for adult families, family units that don’t have any minor children, will be at 333 Bowery St. This will be effective beginning May 1st.   

  

In addition, the City will be engaging in a large-scale communications campaign across the region to update the public on the relocation of this central intake facility. DHS will also maintain a small presence on site for at least a year after the closure to greet anyone who may come to the location for services and direct them to the new location. Direct transportation will also be available throughout the day. Simultaneously, DHS is working with partner agencies and City Hall on a long-term redevelopment plan for the site.    

  

Mayor Mamdani is committed to opening several new, high-quality shelters and this plan is a necessary step toward safer, more dignified infrastructure that maintains shelter availability citywide.   

ASTORIA MAN CHARGED WITH MURDER FOR STABBING DEATH OF 75-YEAR-OLD NEIGHBOR

 

Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that Dimitrios Manessis was charged with murder and weapon possession for the stabbing death of 75-year-old George Dourdounas in Astoria on Tuesday. The defendant allegedly ambushed the victim outside the man’s first-floor apartment, which was next door to his own, and then stabbed him.

Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz said: “This is a senseless act of violence that has rattled the Astoria community. The defendant is accused of stabbing an elderly neighbor to death over a perceived slight. Everyone deserves to feel safe in their own home and in their own neighborhood and my office will aggressively prosecute this case as we seek justice for the family and friends of George Dourdounas.”

Manessis, 48, of Astoria, was arraigned today on a criminal complaint charging him with murder in the second degree and criminal possession of a weapon in the fourth degree. Queens Criminal Court Judge Indira Khan remanded the defendant and ordered him to return to court on March 9. If convicted, the defendant faces up to 25 years to life in prison.

District Attorney Katz said that, according to the charges, on March 3, at approximately 1:20 p.m., the defendant was standing outside of his apartment when the victim entered the apartment building. Manessis allegedly punched the victim, which caused the 75-year-old man to fall to the ground. As the victim lay on the ground, the defendant entered his apartment, retrieved a sharp instrument, and repeatedly stabbed the victim. Manessis then allegedly went inside his home covered in blood.

A neighbor, who entered the apartment building during the incident, called 911 and responding members of the NYPD apprehended the defendant at the scene.

The defendant quarreled with the 75-year-old man leading up to the murder.

Staten Island Man Convicted of Firearms Trafficking Conspiracy and Obstruction of Justice

 

Brandon Nudelman and Co-Conspirators Assembled and Trafficked Untraceable “Ghost Guns” and Machine Gun Conversion Devices

Earlier today, a federal jury in Brooklyn convicted Brandon Nudelman on all three counts of a second superseding indictment charging him with firearms trafficking conspiracy, firearms trafficking, and conspiracy to obstruct justice.  The charges relate to the defendant’s participation in a scheme to manufacture and sell untraceable ghost guns in Staten Island and Pennsylvania.  The verdict followed a six-day trial before United States District Judge Ann M. Donnelly.  When sentenced, the defendant faces up to 30 years in prison.

Joseph Nocella, Jr., United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, Bryan DiGirolamo, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, New York Division (ATF), and Jessica S. Tisch, Commissioner, New York City Police Department (NYPD) announced the verdict.

“Brandon Nudelman was the money man behind a ghost gun factory printing lethal weapons in Staten Island,” stated United States Attorney Nocella.  “The defendant and his co-conspirators manufactured and sold guns and converted machineguns at marked up prices to people who should not have them.  Law enforcement then thwarted the defendant’s effort to cover up his crimes.  Today’s verdict is an important victory in our Office’s work to hold accountable those who seek to profit from the scourge of 3D-printed guns and underscores the Department of Justice’s commitment to reducing gun violence.”

Mr. Nocella expressed his appreciation to the United States Secret Service and the NYPD Intelligence Division’s Major Case Team and Intelligence Analytical Team for their work on the case.

“This conviction shows that individuals who finance and support illegal firearms trafficking will be held accountable. The defendant helped facilitate a dangerous scheme involving privately made firearms and machine gun conversion devices, distributing weapons outside lawful channels,” stated ATF New York Special Agent in Charge DiGirolamo.  “ATF NY remains committed to disrupting illegal firearms trafficking and reducing violent gun crime. Thanks to the collaboration of ATF’s Crime Gun Enforcement Team (C-GET), NYPD Intelligence Division’s Major Case Intelligence Team, the United States Secret Service New York Field Division’s Digital Forensic Laboratory, ATF Firearms and Ammunition Technology Division and U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York. Together, we will continue working to protect the public and keep our communities safe.”

“Today’s guilty verdict is yet another example of how the NYPD is working to remove dangerous weapons from the hands of criminals and keep communities across New York City safe,” stated NYPD Commissioner Tisch.  “The defendant illegally manufactured and trafficked ghost guns – weapons that are just as dangerous as traditional firearms and only exist to evade law enforcement. NYPD detectives worked tirelessly to investigate and shut this dangerous operation down, and I am grateful to the U.S. Attorney’s office and our other partners for their work on this case.”

As proven at trial, between approximately January 2023 and September 2023, Brandon Nudelman conspired with others to illegally manufacture and traffic firearms.  Co-conspirators Ronnie Mershon, Michael Daddea, and Justin Nudelman, who is the defendant’s brother, used so called “Polymer 80” kits and 3D printers and parts sourced from online retailers to assemble privately made and untraceable firearms, commonly called “ghost guns.”  These 3D-printed firearms included at least nine devices called “auto sears” or “switches” which convert semi-automatic guns into fully automatic weapons and are considered machine guns under federal law.  The defendants made the untraceable ghost guns that they assembled available for sale without obtaining a license or otherwise notifying government authorities.  On September 7, 2023, law enforcement executed a search warrant at Justin Nudelman’s residence and recovered multiple homemade firearms, nine switches, 3D printers, and over 100 rounds of ammunition.  The evidence at trial included videos showing the defendant and co-conspirators firing weapons equipped with these machinegun conversion devices.

On September 7, 2023, following the search at Justin Nudelman’s residence, law enforcement officers sought to seize Justin Nudelman’s phone pursuant to a judicially authorized search warrant.  The defendant conspired with Justin Nudelman to conceal the phone and render its contents inaccessible to law enforcement by deleting messages and cracking the phone in multiple places.

All three of Brandon Nudelman’s co-defendants have pleaded guilty and are awaiting sentencing.  Justin Nudelman pleaded guilty to gun trafficking conspiracy and conspiracy to obstruct justice in January 2026.  Ronnie Mershon pleaded guilty to gun trafficking conspiracy and unlawfully possessing a machinegun in December 2025.  In December 2025, Michael Daddea pleaded guilty to gun trafficking conspiracy.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone.  As part of the program, U.S. Attorney’s Offices work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and their local communities to develop effective, locally based strategies to reduce violent crime.  The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York is currently partnering with the SCPD, the NYPD, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, ATF, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations, and the Drug Enforcement Administration in its PSN mission.

The government’s case is being handled by the Office’s General Crimes Section.

Two Defendants Charged Following Shootout with DEA Agents and Seizure of Approximately 50,000 Suspected Fentanyl Pills

 

Eduardo Valenzuela Lopez, 33, of Cajeme, Sonora, Mexico, and Jael Gonzalez Banuelos, 22, of Phoenix, Arizona, were arrested on the morning of Feb. 24, 2026, by members of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) for conspiring to distribute fentanyl. Valenzuela Lopez and Gonzalez Banuelos were charged by criminal complaint with conspiring to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl. Valenzuela Lopez and Gonzalez Banuelos had their respective initial appearances on Feb. 25, 2026.

From early February 2026 through February 24, 2026, Valenzuela Lopez allegedly negotiated and coordinated the sale and delivery of approximately 50,000 fentanyl pills. Law enforcement officers became aware of the deal and tried to arrest Valenzuela Lopez and Gonzalez Banuelos as they delivered the pills. When agents approached their vehicle, Valenzuela Lopez, who is illegally present in the United States, allegedly opened fire on law enforcement officers. In response, law enforcement officers returned fire. No injuries or fatalities resulted, and law enforcement officers subsequently arrested Valenzuela Lopez and Gonzalez Banuelos. Investigators discovered a firearm on the ground by the driver’s side of the fentanyl pill transport vehicle, as well as approximately 50,000 fentanyl pills in the passenger compartment.

A conviction for possessing 400 grams or more of fentanyl for distribution carries a 10-year minimum-mandatory sentence, up to life imprisonment, a fine of up to $10,000,000, and a term of supervised release of at least five (5) years, up to life.

The United States Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, Phoenix, is handling the prosecution.

A criminal complaint is a formal accusation of criminal conduct. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

MAYOR MAMDANI ANNOUNCES $50 MILLION CAPITAL INVESTMENT TO RECONSTRUCT 10 PARKS IN UNDERSERVED NEIGHBORHOODS

 

Park improvements will benefit more than 116,500 New Yorkers in historically neglected communities  

  

CUNY releases new study linking park improvements with reduced stress  

Today, Mayor Zohran Kwame Mamdani and NYC Parks Commissioner Tricia Shimamura announced $50 million in new capital investments in 10 parks through the Community Parks Initiative (CPI) for Fiscal Year 2027. The initiative reconstructs parks in neighborhoods that have historically been neglected.   

  

The investments will improve parks in all five boroughs, expanding access to safe, welcoming public spaces. The announcement coincides with new studies from the City University of New York (CUNY) highlighting the mental health and social benefits of improved park space for New Yorkers.  

  

“For many New Yorkers, the park is their backyard — a place where they can play a game of pick-up basketball, hold a picnic on the grass or kick a ball with their kids. These New Yorkers know the difference between a park in disarray and a park that city government has invested in,” said Mayor Zohran Mamdani. “That is why, today, we are proud to announce $50 million worth of capital investments to ten parks across the city — investments that will allow more than 100,000 New Yorkers in all five boroughs to experience a healthier, cleaner and more accessible city.”   

  

“All New Yorkers deserve access to clean, safe and high-quality parks — and through our Community Parks Initiative (CPI), we're proud to announce the next 10 parks that will receive key investments in underserved neighborhoods. These renovations will benefit more than 100,000 New Yorkers across all five boroughs,” said NYC Parks Commissioner Tricia Shimamura. “Along with this new investment, NYC Parks has reimagined and reconstructed 70 CPI sites. We are grateful to the CUNY Graduate School of Public Health & Health Policy for its partnership in studying the health and quality-of-life benefits of these projects through the SPARCS study.”  

   

“Urban parks are increasingly being recognized around the world as crucial for the wellbeing of citizens. It is exciting to see that CPI has been successful at improving the level of satisfaction and usage of neighborhood parks throughout the city,” said Terry Huang, Distinguished Professor of Public Health, CUNY Graduate School of Public Health and Health Policy (CUNY SPH). “Importantly, the park renovations created the necessary condition for New Yorkers to benefit from using these parks in terms of their health and wellbeing. We are fortunate in New York to have such strong leadership and efforts to continue improving the park spaces in local communities through the expansion of CPI.”  

   

Through CPI, local parks are reconstructed through a community-driven design process that upgrades sites, adds new play equipment and recreation amenities for all ages and enhances green space.   

  

Over the past decade, NYC Parks has reimagined and reconstructed 70 CPI projects in neighborhood parks citywide and currently has another 47 projects underway, representing more than half a billion dollars in capital investment to rebuild parks and playgrounds that had not seen significant upgrades in decades.  

  

The 10 sites announced today will bring the total number of active CPI projects to 57.  

   

The following parks will be transformed through CPI:  

   

Bronx  

Mott Playground (Concourse)

Fountain of Youth Playground (Mott Haven / Longwood)

Morris Mesa Playground (Mount Hope)  

   

Brooklyn  

Van Dyke Playground (Brownsville)  

Roebling Playground (South Williamsburg)  

Elizabeth Stroud Playground (Bedford–Stuyvesant)  

   

Manhattan    

Vladeck Park (Lower East Side)  

St. Nicholas Park 133rd St. Playground (Harlem)  

   

Queens    

Corona Health Sanctuary (Corona)  

   

Staten Island  

Kaltenmeier Playground (Rosebank / Shore Acres)  

  

Launched in 2014, CPI provides equity-driven investments to parks that have not received significant capital improvements in at least two decades and are located in neighborhoods with the highest need, based on factors such as poverty levels, population density and population growth.   

  

One of the most recent CPI investments renovated Jennie Jerome Playground in the Bronx. Completed in 2025, the reconstruction added inclusive play equipment designed for children of all abilities, a spray shower to help children stay cool in the summer, picnic tables and seating for families and new shade trees and plantings to mitigate heat and reduce noise from the nearby expressway.     

 

CPI investments also have been linked to improved mental health and increased park use, including in recently announced studies by researchers at the City University of New York Graduate School of Public Health & Health Policy (CUNY SPH). According to findings from the recent Physical Activity and Redesigned Community Spaces (PARCS) study, residents in neighborhoods that received CPI park renovations reported: 

•    More time spent in parks, particularly on weekdays and among adults with children and members of the Latino community.  

•   Significant increases in satisfaction with park quality, maintenance and amenities.   

•   Reduced stress levels among residents who frequently used renovated parks, suggesting that high-quality parks are a key condition for realizing the mental health benefits of regular park use.