FBI arrests man in $3.7B 'Medicare scam,' Houston seniors impacted
CONROE, Texas (KTRK) -- Ron Barlow said he always writes down all his doctor appointments on his calendar. When he gets his explanation of benefits, he said he lines up the dates of his visits with the charges billed to his insurance to make sure it's correct.
But when we spoke with Barlow last November, he told 13 Investigates his Medicare account was being billed by Florida-based company Sunshine Senior Solutions for medical supplies he knew nothing about. 13 Investigates has since learned we were trying to reach the man the FBI now says was behind "one of the biggest Medicare scams in history."
Ibrahim Khaldoon Hilmi, 58, was arrested in Turkey for "his alleged role in a $3.7 billion scheme to defraud Medicare," the FBI announced on June 22, 2026.
Hilmi was charged with health care fraud and wire fraud conspiracy, money laundering conspiracy, and money laundering.
A federal indictment for Hilmi says he is listed as the sole authorized member of Sunshine Senior Solutions.
He is now facing federal charges for his role with Sunshine Senior Solutions and ABRH, another durable medical equipment company.
Federal prosecutors allege both companies were part of the same fraud scheme, describing them in the indictment as "shell companies that existed for the sole purpose of defrauding insurers and funneling insurance reimbursements to foreign actors overseas."
Despite submitting $3.7 billion in claims to Medicare, Medicaid, and other insurers, the U.S. Attorney's Office said only $5.7 million was paid out and deposited into Sunshine Senior Solutions and ABRH bank accounts.
Sunshine Senior Solutions had an office space in Delray Beach, Florida, and provided no legitimate business purpose and didn't serve customers, according to the indictment.
After negative reviews started surfacing online alleging Sunshine Senior Solutions was committing health care fraud, federal authorities said Hilmi fled the country in May 2025.
13 Investigates could not reach Hilmi's attorneys for comment.
SEE ALSO: 'I would know if I had a catheter': Man surprised by Medicare charges
Barlow was charged for "wound covers" and hundreds of catheters between September 2024 and February 2025, according to Medicare documents he received.
He said that when he saw those charges from Sunshine Senior Solutions on his account for equipment he didn't need and never received, he reported them to Medicare as fraud.
"Somehow they tapped into some data source, got my information, and I'm guessing just went fishing. Let's just bill this guy and see if it goes through," Barlow said.
Medicare told 13 Investigates last year in a statement that they revoked Sunshine Senior Solutions' ability to bill Medicare in June of last year.
"Medicare is funded from our tax dollars, so you're paying for it," Barlow said. "You and me, we're all paying for it, and these guys are getting away with it."
Barlow said it's important for people to check their insurance statements to make sure they recognize the charges on their account, because that is how he discovered his concerns with Sunshine Senior Solutions.
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