Yousef Kurdy Remains Wanted After Failing to Surrender in Major Medicare and Medi-Cal Fraud Case
Federal Charges Include Health Care Fraud, Identity Theft, Kickbacks and Tax Evasion
Yousef Kurdy remains wanted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation in connection with a federal health care fraud case involving Medicare and Medi-Cal billing in Southern California. Federal authorities accuse Kurdy of submitting claims involving more than 35,000 office visits, including hundreds of claims for appointments that investigators say never occurred. He is also accused of billing government health programs for treating patients during periods when he was not present and failing to pay federal income taxes for three years.
A federal arrest warrant was issued for Kurdy on January 26, 2012, by the United States District Court for the Southern District of California. He was scheduled to surrender to authorities four days later, on January 30, but failed to appear. More than 14 years later, Kurdy remains on the FBI's current Most Wanted white-collar crime list and is sought by the bureau's San Diego Field Office.
More Than 35,000 Office Visits Submitted for Payment
At the center of the federal case are claims involving more than 35,000 office visits with Medicare and Medi-Cal patients. These government health programs reimburse qualifying medical providers for legitimate services delivered to eligible patients. Federal authorities accuse Kurdy of exploiting that reimbursement system by submitting claims that did not accurately reflect medical services actually provided.
The sheer number of office visits involved made the billing activity significant to investigators. Federal health care fraud investigations can involve extensive comparisons between claims data, patient records, provider schedules, medical documentation and other evidence showing whether a billed service actually occurred. Authorities ultimately concluded that hundreds of the claims associated with Kurdy involved office visits that never took place.
Investigators also identified instances in which Kurdy allegedly billed for treating patients when he was not present. A medical claim generally identifies a particular service, provider and date, allowing investigators to compare billing records with evidence establishing where the provider was and whether the patient actually received the reported treatment. Those discrepancies became another part of the criminal case against Kurdy.
Hundreds of Allegedly Fraudulent Claims
The allegations extend beyond occasional billing errors. The FBI states that hundreds of fraudulent claims were submitted for office visits that did not occur. The government ultimately pursued a federal health care fraud charge as part of a much broader collection of offenses.
False billing of Medicare or Medi-Cal can divert public money intended to pay for legitimate medical treatment. Medicare is a federal health insurance program primarily serving older Americans and certain people with disabilities, while Medi-Cal is California's Medicaid program. Both rely on medical providers submitting accurate information when requesting reimbursement.
When claims are submitted for nonexistent treatment, government programs can pay providers for services patients never received. Billing for treatment during periods when a provider was not present can similarly create records suggesting medical care occurred when investigators contend it did not. Federal authorities examine these discrepancies to determine whether questionable claims represent mistakes or deliberate fraudulent conduct.
Aggravated Identity Theft Charge
Kurdy's federal case also includes an aggravated identity theft charge. Health care fraud investigations can involve patient identifying information because medical claims require information identifying the beneficiary receiving treatment. The government's inclusion of an identity theft charge makes the handling of identifying information another component of the prosecution.
Aggravated identity theft is a separate federal offense from the underlying fraud allegations. Prosecutors must establish the specific elements of each offense in court, and the presence of multiple charges does not mean they are interchangeable. Kurdy's federal warrant identifies both health care fraud and aggravated identity theft among the charges pending against him.
The case also includes aiding and abetting, reflecting the government's investigation of conduct beyond a single billing allegation. Together, the charges show that federal investigators examined multiple aspects of the alleged operation before seeking Kurdy's arrest.
Kickbacks for Patient Referrals
Federal prosecutors also charged Kurdy with receipt of kickbacks for patient referrals. Kickbacks are a major focus of federal health care enforcement because medical referrals involving government-funded programs are supposed to be based on legitimate patient needs rather than secret financial incentives. Paying or receiving prohibited compensation for referrals can distort medical decision-making and generate additional claims against public health programs.
In fraudulent health care operations, patient referrals can provide the stream of beneficiaries needed to generate claims. More patients can mean more opportunities to submit bills for examinations, procedures, equipment or other medical services. Federal anti-kickback laws are designed in part to prevent financial payments from improperly influencing those decisions.
The kickback charge therefore adds another dimension to Kurdy's case beyond the disputed office visits. Federal authorities were examining not only whether the services billed to government programs occurred but also how patients were being referred within the operation.
Three Years of Unpaid Federal Taxes
Kurdy is additionally accused of failing to pay federal taxes for three years. The resulting federal case includes an income tax evasion charge alongside the health care fraud offenses. Financial investigations can expand into tax matters when authorities identify income or assets that they believe were deliberately concealed from the Internal Revenue Service.
Tax evasion is separate from simply owing money to the IRS. Criminal tax cases generally require prosecutors to establish intentional conduct designed to evade taxes legally due to the federal government. In Kurdy's case, federal authorities included income tax evasion among the offenses listed on his arrest warrant.
The combination of health care fraud and tax allegations meant investigators could examine both the generation of money and its treatment for federal tax purposes. Financial records can become particularly important in such cases because the same transactions may provide evidence relevant to multiple aspects of an investigation.
Federal Warrant Issued in January 2012
The investigation resulted in a federal arrest warrant being issued for Kurdy on January 26, 2012. The warrant came from the United States District Court for the Southern District of California, which includes San Diego and surrounding areas. The charges listed by federal authorities include health care fraud, aggravated identity theft, receipt of kickbacks for patient referrals, income tax evasion, aiding and abetting, and criminal forfeiture.
Kurdy was expected to enter federal custody shortly afterward. He was scheduled to self-surrender on January 30, 2012, giving him four days between issuance of the warrant and the date he was supposed to appear. He did not surrender as scheduled.
His failure to appear transformed the case into a long-running fugitive investigation. Instead of proceeding through the federal judicial process as planned, authorities were required to begin searching for Kurdy while the underlying criminal charges remained pending.
Kurdy Failed to Self-Surrender
A scheduled self-surrender provides a defendant with an opportunity to report to authorities rather than being taken into custody through an arrest operation. Kurdy had been given a specific date on which he was expected to surrender. According to the FBI, he failed to appear on January 30, 2012.
That failure has remained central to his status as a fugitive. Kurdy continues to appear on the FBI's white-collar crime wanted list, and the San Diego Field Office continues to seek information concerning his whereabouts. The federal warrant remains associated with the unresolved prosecution.
The amount of time that has passed can complicate efforts to identify a fugitive. The FBI wanted poster currently available for Kurdy uses a photograph taken in April 2006, meaning his appearance today could be substantially different. Investigators therefore provide additional physical and biographical information that can help with identification.
Who Is Yousef Kurdy?
Yousef Kurdy was born on March 8, 1948, in Aleppo, Syria. The FBI identifies his nationality as Syrian and lists “Yousef M. Kurdy” as an alias. He is described as approximately 5 feet 8 inches tall and weighing around 170 pounds, with a stocky build, black hair and brown eyes.
Because Kurdy was born in 1948, he would now be in his late seventies. His FBI photograph dates from April 2006, several years before the federal arrest warrant was issued. Anyone attempting to identify him should therefore consider that aging and other changes could make his current appearance different from the image distributed by federal authorities.
His Syrian nationality and international connections are particularly important to the fugitive investigation. Authorities have identified three countries where he has ties or may travel, expanding the search well beyond Southern California.
Possible Travel to Syria, Lebanon and the UAE
The FBI states that Kurdy has ties to or may travel to Syria, Lebanon, or the United Arab Emirates. These international connections create several possible areas of interest for investigators seeking to establish his current location. The bureau does not publicly identify a specific current city or address for Kurdy on its wanted poster.
International fugitive investigations can be considerably more complicated than searches confined to the United States. Locating and returning a wanted person can depend on citizenship, immigration status, the laws of the country where the individual is located, diplomatic relationships and applicable international agreements. Conditions can also change significantly over the many years that a warrant remains outstanding.
Travel can nevertheless create opportunities for law enforcement. A fugitive who is difficult to apprehend in one jurisdiction may later enter another country where authorities are able to take action. Accurate information concerning Kurdy's current residence, travel plans, associates or employment could therefore remain significant.
One of the FBI's Current White-Collar Crime Fugitives
Despite the age of the case, Kurdy remains included on the FBI's current white-collar crime Most Wanted list. The bureau's San Diego Field Office also continues to include him among wanted individuals connected to investigations handled by that office. His wanted poster directs anyone possessing information to contact the FBI or the nearest American Embassy or Consulate.
The continued listing is significant because Kurdy's warrant dates to January 2012. Many aspects of his life could have changed during the years since he was expected to surrender, including where he lives, the people with whom he associates and his physical appearance. Information obtained years after the original investigation can therefore still provide useful leads.
People who recognize Kurdy or possess information about his whereabouts should provide that information to law enforcement rather than attempting to approach him. International witnesses can contact the nearest American Embassy or Consulate.
The Wider Impact of Health Care Fraud
Health care fraud affects more than the government agencies responsible for paying claims. Medicare and Medicaid programs collectively finance medical treatment for millions of people, meaning fraudulent billing diverts resources intended for patients with legitimate medical needs. Large-scale fraudulent billing can also undermine confidence in providers and create inaccurate medical or billing records associated with patients.
The Justice Department continues to treat health care fraud as a major federal enforcement priority. In June 2026, federal authorities announced a nationwide enforcement action involving 455 defendants and more than $6.5 billion in alleged fraudulent claims, illustrating the continuing scale of the problem. Kurdy's case predates that operation by many years, but it involves several recurring issues in health care fraud enforcement, including billing for services not provided and alleged kickbacks.
Kurdy's case is unusual because the underlying prosecution has remained unresolved for more than a decade due to his fugitive status. The federal government obtained its warrant in 2012, but the planned self-surrender never occurred.
A Fugitive Case Spanning More Than 14 Years
More than 14 years have passed since Kurdy failed to surrender to federal authorities. During that time, the original allegations have remained pending while investigators continue seeking his location. His international connections mean he could potentially have lived or traveled far from the Southern California jurisdiction where the charges were filed.
Long-running fugitive cases rely heavily on updated information. Old addresses and telephone numbers may become irrelevant, while new family relationships, businesses, travel patterns or residences can emerge. Even a seemingly minor piece of current information can potentially help investigators connect older records with a fugitive's present location.
Kurdy's continued presence on the FBI's wanted list demonstrates that the federal warrant remains unresolved. His case will remain pending unless he is brought before the appropriate federal court or the legal status of the case otherwise changes.
Search for Yousef Kurdy Continues
Yousef Kurdy remains wanted in connection with federal charges of health care fraud, aggravated identity theft, receipt of kickbacks for patient referrals, income tax evasion, aiding and abetting, and criminal forfeiture. Authorities accuse him of submitting claims involving more than 35,000 Medicare and Medi-Cal office visits, including hundreds of fraudulent claims for visits that never occurred, as well as billing for patient treatment during times when he was not present.
Kurdy was scheduled to surrender on January 30, 2012, but failed to appear after a federal warrant had been issued four days earlier. The FBI says he has ties to or may travel to Syria, Lebanon, and the United Arab Emirates, and he remains listed among the bureau's current white-collar crime fugitives. Anyone with information concerning his whereabouts should provide it directly to appropriate law-enforcement authorities rather than attempting to confront or apprehend him.
