{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://www.ernst.senate.gov/news/press-releases/ernst-investigation-reveals-fraudsters-becoming-billionaires-by-bilking-taxpayers", "Ernst Investigation Reveals Fraudsters Becoming Billionaires by Bilking Taxpayers", "2026-09-29", "2026", "2026-09", "Republican", "Senate", "IA", "Joni Ernst", "E000295", "www.ernst.senate.gov", "ernst", "https://www.ernst.senate.gov/news/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON \u2013 Today, U.S. Senator Joni Ernst (R-Iowa) released her latest investigation revealing how fraudsters are becoming billionaires by bilking taxpayers.\n\nErnst highlights ten scammers who collectively billed government programs for over $21 billion. More than $3.1 billion of those bogus charges were paid. The crooks spent the loot on million-dollar mansions, luxury vehicles, extravagant jewelry, and a beachside resort. They also laundered millions of dollars overseas to China and the Russian mob.\n\n\u201cKlepto-currency is creating a new class of billionaire bandits,\u201d said Ernst. \u201cWhile Iowans are juggling rising health care costs, these criminals are building empires by stealing from government health care programs and using the proceeds to bankroll mansions, luxury cars, and lavish lifestyles. Fraudsters are literally putting the con in convertible. For too long, Washington focused on taxing the money earned by hard working Americans while giving it away without even checking to see who is taking it. Enough is enough. Let\u2019s put these scammers in the slammer!\u201d\n\nAmong the cases Ernst is highlighting:\n\nBrett Blackman allegedly used foreign call centers and fraudulent doctors\u2019 orders to exploit senior citizens and submit approximately $1 billion in bogus claims for orthotic braces and other unnecessary medical equipment. More than $450 million in claims were allegedly paid. Blackman also reportedly flaunted his fraud-financed wealth, including a gold necklace in the shape of a dollar sign, in a music video filmed at his mansion.\n\nAlexandra Gehrke and Jeffrey King allegedly submitted approximately $1.2 billion in fraudulent claims for unnecessary wound grafts to Medicare, TRICARE, and CHAMPVA. Approximately $615 million was allegedly paid, with proceeds used to purchase four luxury vehicles, real estate, and jewelry.\n\nMarizel Yukee allegedly submitted approximately $1 billion in fraudulent health care claims to Medicare and TRICARE through a scheme involving bribes and kickbacks. Reports indicate that $297 million was paid out, with proceeds reportedly spent on expensive cars, jewelry, and real estate.\n\nBrian Rowan allegedly orchestrated a $1.2 billion scheme to defraud government health care programs through kickbacks, bribes, and sham sales invoices. Approximately $614 million in fraudulent claims was allegedly paid, helping finance multi-million-dollar mansions, luxury watches, and extravagant vehicles.\n\nErekle Gugava allegedly submitted at least $1.3 billion in fraudulent claims to Medicare and other health insurers in a six-month period. Authorities allege that approximately $6.5 million was obtained and laundered to Russian organized-crime associates before Gugava fled the country.\n\nA Russian organized-crime group allegedly obtained nearly $1 billion by submitting fraudulent claims for medical supplies, primarily urinary catheters. The group allegedly submitted more than $10.6 billion in reimbursement claims to Medicare using the stolen identities of thousands of doctors and senior citizens.\n\nIbrahim Khaldoon Hilmi and Nika Machutadze allegedly posed as medical supply providers and submitted approximately $3.7 billion in fraudulent claims for orthotic braces, glucose monitors, and wound dressings to government-funded health care programs. Authorities allege that the pair received approximately $5.7 million before the scheme was uncovered.\n\nHerbert Leon Kimble allegedly led a scheme that submitted more than $1.2 billion in fraudulent Medicare claims for orthopedic braces. Using foreign telemarketing call centers, the operation allegedly targeted hundreds of thousands of elderly and disabled patients with unnecessary knee, wrist, and shoulder braces. The scheme allegedly generated more than $200 million, which was used to purchase exotic automobiles, yachts, and luxury real estate.\n\nErnst is calling on the Senate to pass her Protecting American Taxpayers Act which would prevent fraud before it occurs, recover stolen taxpayer dollars, and hold fraudsters accountable. Ernst notes, \u201cevery day we delay passing my bill, fraudsters get away with stealing another $1.4 billion from taxpayers.\u201d\n\nShe\u2019s also giving her September 2026 Squeal Award to the Democratic Socialists of America for saying \u201cbillionaires shouldn\u2019t exist,\u201d while ignoring the government grift and graft that is making billionaires out of riffraff. In fact, the $500 billion the Democrats\u2019 proposed \u201cbillionaire tax\u201d would bring in isn\u2019t even enough to pay the total cost of the $523 billion the government gives away to fraudsters every year.\n\n\u201cWhen the socialists demand, \u2018Medicare for All,\u2019 apparently, they really mean it, even if that includes Russian mobsters and the FBI\u2019s most wanted fraudsters,\u201d said Ernst.\n\nRead the Protecting American Taxpayers Act text here.\n\n###", 1, "2026-09-30T10:57:52Z", "2026-09-30T10:59:04Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://www.ernst.senate.gov/news/press-releases/ernst-investigation-reveals-fraudsters-becoming-billionaires-by-bilking-taxpayers"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 1.7766491509974003, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}