Patients notice mysterious charges; may be pawns in alleged multi-million dollar scheme

CHARLOTTE — Robert Parker and Rick DeVivi said they are keeping a close eye on their medical statements and have noticed claims that don’t make sense, including more than $10,000 in claims for catheters and incontinence supplies.

They told Action 9 attorney Jason Stoogenke they didn’t need them and didn’t get them.

The same business, Texas-based Centurion Superior Medical, filed the claims. “Not a company I’ve ever dealt with,” Parker said.

Stoogenke found that the company is under federal investigation.

Prosecutors said the man behind it billed Medicare and other health programs for catheters and other equipment patients didn’t need or receive.

ALSO READ: ‘The police are coming after you’: Don’t fall for this jury duty scam

Investigators claim that, over roughly one month alone, he billed for more than 78,000 items and that Medicare paid more than $90 million.

“[T]he billing data shows that CENTURION began submitting large numbers of claims to Medicare on September 25, 2025, shortly after [NIKA] MACHUTADZE became the owner and operator of CENTURION. Many of these claims were backdated to reflect dates of service months prior to their submission. In total, from September 25, 2025, through October 28, 2025, CENTURION submitted claims for 78,663 items of DME purportedly prescribed to approximately 24,060 beneficiaries across the United States. Medicare was billed $134,310,760 for these claims, of which $90,283,331 was processed as paid. The billing targeted particular high-value products and billing codes. Specifically, CENTURION billed Medicare for 3,000 orthotic braces—wrist and back, with every associated beneficiary receiving both a left and right wrist brace, and a back brace—and 75,663 intermittent urinary catheters with insertion supplies,” court documents say.

“Just think how many other people are having their Medicare payments [interfered with],” DeVivi said.

He and Parker aren’t out of money, but worry about tax dollars and everyone’s healthcare costs because of fraud.

Stoogenke called Centurion on Thursday. The mailbox was full. At the time, Google listed the business as “permanently closed.”

Medicare emailed Stoogenke, saying:

“CMS takes allegations of fraud, waste, and abuse extremely seriously and is committed to aggressively investigating and combating fraud. CMS works closely with the HHS Office of Inspector General (OIG) and Department of Justice (DOJ) to investigate healthcare fraud schemes, referring cases to law enforcement partners as appropriate. However, to protect the integrity of the oversight process, CMS does not confirm or comment on ongoing or potential investigations into specific providers or individuals.

CMS routinely monitors billing patterns across its programs using advanced data analytics, beneficiary complaints, and referrals from providers, states, and law enforcement to identify potential fraud, waste, or abuse. When concerns arise, CMS has a range of tools it may use, including suspending payments, revoking billing privileges, or referring cases to law enforcement for further action.

It is important to note that just because something is marked “payable” does not mean funds will be paid—that is not the final step in the process. If a provider or supplier is under investigation and their payments are suspended, that information is not reflected in a Medicare Summary Notice (MSN). Therefore, while it may appear as though CMS has paid for an item/service, payment has instead been withheld pending investigation.

Fraud investigations are often complex, requiring extensive fact-finding, legal review, and coordination across agencies. The length of an investigation depends on multiple factors, such as the scope of the allegations, the volume of evidence, and due process considerations. These safeguards ensure that actions taken by CMS and its partners are thorough, legally sound, and durable.

Beneficiaries who suspect fraud—including those who receive items/services not ordered/authorized or who notice their MSN includes items/services not ordered/received—should report concerns through 1-800-MEDICARE or directly to the HHS OIG Hotline at 1-800-HHS-TIPS. Additional information on how CMS fights fraud is available at www.cms.gov/fraud."

Stoogenke said even if it doesn’t cost you personally, it sounds cliché, but these crimes cost all of us. So: