A foreign national suspected of entering the United States illegally has been charged in a fraud scheme that allegedly attempted to steal more than $90 million in federal health care funds distributed through the Medicare Advantage program, according to the Justice Department.

Anar Rustamov, 38, was indicted by a federal grand jury last week and charged with health care fraud for a scheme involving thousands of false claims for medical equipment totaling more than $90 million, the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Northern District of California said in a press release.

He previously lived in Sunnyvale, California, and is a foreign national from Azerbaijan who may have entered the United States illegally, according to the release.

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Rustamov was allegedly part of a scheme to submit thousands of fraudulent claims to Medicare Advantage Organizations on behalf of unsuspecting beneficiaries for medical equipment like blood glucose monitors and orthotic braces, the release states.

The indictment alleges that from October 2024 through June 2025, Rustamov used a company he created, Dublin Helping Hand, to submit large volumes of claims to Medicare Advantage Organizations offering benefit plans.

The scheme allegedly sought reimbursement of more than $90 million for medical equipment that was not provided, not needed by patients or not approved by a medical provider, according to the indictment.

The listed patients were unaware that their information was used to submit the claims, and the referring medical provider listed on the submissions did not authorize the claims, the indictment alleges.

Rustamov remains at large, according to federal officials.

"When the Administration declared a War on Fraud, it meant to target exactly this kind of conduct. Rustamov participated in a scheme to steal nearly $100 million in taxpayer funds from a program intended to help those who truly need medical care," U.S. Attorney's Office for the Northern District of California Craig H. Missakian said in a statement.

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"Anyone who believes they can make easy money by defrauding such programs should know that we will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to identify, investigate, and prosecute such fraud and abuse," he continued.

If convicted, Rustamov could face a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison and a fine of $250,000 for each violation.

Iran is poised to strike critical desalination infrastructure across the Middle East within days, escalating tensions with the U.S. and Israel and triggering global economic fallout, a U.N. official warned Sunday.

Kaveh Madani, an Iranian scientist and U.N. official, said desalination plants across the region could be hit "within the next few days," raising the prospect of a broader regional water crisis and affecting global markets.

The strike threats made by the regime on Sunday came in response to President Donald Trump's warning that the U.S. would hit Iranian power infrastructure unless the Strait of Hormuz was opened within 48 hours.

A spokesperson for the Central Headquarters of Hazrat Khatam al-Anbiya (PBUH) said, "Following previous warnings, if Iran’s fuel and energy infrastructure is attacked by the enemy, all energy, information technology, and desalination infrastructure belonging to the US and the regime in the region will be targeted."

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"The desalination plants might be targeted again within the next few days," Madani told Fox News Digital.

"The driest region of the world might see a real water war, but the knock-on effects on the world’s economy, including the U.S., will be both immediate and lasting," Madani said, pointing to what he described as a "new phase in the conflict" involving such critical civilian infrastructure.

"Now, add the possibility of damage to the already fragile water infrastructure, including treatment plants, pumping stations, and distribution networks," he said. "The consequences would be catastrophic and lasting."

Kaveh’s warning comes as the conflict — now in its fourth week — has expanded beyond military targets. Desalination facilities, including a plant on Iran’s Qeshm Island and another in Bahrain, have allegedly already been struck.

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Desalination, the process of creating drinkable water from seawater, is critical to supplying water across Israel and many of Iran’s Gulf neighbors, particularly in such arid regions where natural freshwater is scarce.

Mohammad-Bagher Ghalibaf, speaker of the Iranian parliament, echoed the regime’s threats in a post on X on Sunday, warning that "critical infrastructure, energy, and oil across the region will be irreversibly destroyed, and oil prices will rise for a long time" if Iran’s power plants are struck.

"With a blackout, water treatment and distribution systems will also collapse in some parts of the country," Madani clarified.

"Iran will retaliate by attacking desalination, energy, and other energy-related infrastructure in all countries in the region that are parties to the war, including Israel," he added. "The price of oil and gas will increase further, and the Strait of Hormuz will remain closed, while a humanitarian disaster is created as millions of people lose access to water and electricity in the region."

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"The U.S. has allegedly already attacked a desalination plant in Qeshm Island, and the Iranians have allegedly responded by striking a plant in Bahrain," he said.

"Iran is the least reliant on desalination plants, so it is explicitly including them as legitimate targets for retaliation because this is the biggest vulnerability of the other parties to the war across the Middle East," he added.

Despite that relative advantage, Iran itself has faced years of severe drought, mismanagement of water resources, and declining groundwater levels, leaving parts of the country increasingly water-stressed.

"If Iranians run out of water and/or electricity, they won’t rise up," Holly Dagres, Libitzky Family Senior Fellow at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, said.

"The unfortunate truth is that the Islamic Republic would rather allow the country to burn than appear weak while it is facing an existential threat," she said.