A “no cost” COVID test pitch turned into a guilty plea and a multimillion-dollar fraud case.
Story Snapshot
- Fast Lab’s former chief operating officer Hasan “Lucas” Seyhun pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit health care fraud.
- Prosecutors say the scheme used “no cost” online test offers to gather insurance data and submit huge claims.
- The government links the case to more than $500 million in claims and at least $35 million in illicit payments.
- A related enforcement summary lists alleged false claims for observation, saliva collection, and PCR testing.
Guilty Plea From a Senior Executive
Federal officials announced that Hasan “Lucas” Seyhun, Fast Lab’s former chief operating officer, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit health care fraud. The plea places a senior executive at the center of a plan that reached across the country. The Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General said Seyhun admitted his role in submitting fraudulent claims tied to online orders for COVID-19 tests. The Department of Labor Office of Inspector General release echoes the account and the admitted conduct.
$500 MILLION in fake COVID-19 test billing fraud has been uncovered and Hasan Seyhun, the Chief Operating Officer, will be held accountable for ripping off the American people.
“At a time when Americans were scared for their families and their futures, Hasan Seyhun saw an…
— National Fraud Enforcement Division (@DOJFraudDiv) September 24, 2026
Government releases say Seyhun and others advertised “no cost” COVID-19 tests on a website. People entered their details and insurance data to get a test kit. Prosecutors say Fast Lab then used that insurance information to submit claims for services not provided or not provided as billed. The plan aimed beyond one payer, touching federal health programs and private benefits, according to the charging summaries. That simple funnel—free test, capture data, send claims—made the scheme scale fast.
How The Claims Added Up
A First Superseding Indictment and case summaries describe the alleged billing categories. They include charges for observed antigen tests when no observation happened, saliva collection that did not occur, and polymerase chain reaction tests that were not performed as represented. Officials report that more than $500 million in claims flowed from the operation. They also report at least $35 million in illicit payments linked to conduct Seyhun admitted, and a personal forfeiture of over $4.3 million tied to him has been described in related coverage.
Roles inside the company were spelled out by investigators. Seyhun served as chief operating officer, Cemhan “Jimmy” Biricik as chief executive officer, and Dr. Martin Perlin as medical director in the charging materials. Releases state that Seyhun admitted he conspired with those leaders while directing employees and outside billing agents to send the claims. That hierarchy matters. It shows intent and control, not random error. It also shows how a website workflow turned into a billing engine with corporate reach.
Why This Case Resonates Nationwide
The Fast Lab case tracks a pattern seen since 2020. Federal actions have broken up rings that billed for tests never done, swapped simple tests for pricey panels, or used “free testing” events to harvest personal and insurance data for unrelated claims. Justice Department summaries from health care fraud sweeps outline the same playbook: promise quick COVID testing, then bill big for add-ons or phantom work. The Fast Lab matter fits that template, with a key executive now admitting the fraud.
Conservative readers will see a basic truth here. When government opens floodgates of money without tight guardrails, bad actors rush in. Taxpayers and honest patients pay the price. The answer is not to stop emergency aid. The answer is to design simple rules with strong checks from day one. That means quick identity checks, audit trails that link claims to test records, and penalties that arrive fast. It also means enforcing them, as this plea shows.
What Happens Next
The plea moves the case into the sentencing phase for Seyhun. The broader prosecution continues to detail claims, roles, and losses in public filings. A national enforcement roundup cited alleged false claims across observation, collection, and testing categories, and tied the scheme to large intended losses. One point deserves care. Officials have reported different figures: more than $500 million in claims, at least $35 million in illicit payments, and millions in personal proceeds. Those are different measures of scale, not a single number.
Three takeaways stand out. First, online funnels can turn small deceptions into national fraud in weeks. Second, naming who did what inside a company helps prosecutors prove intent and recover money. Third, plain-language alerts work. People understood “no cost.” They typed in their data. They trusted the offer. The best guardrail is clarity plus verification. If a website captures your insurance data, someone must match every claim to a real test result. Every time.
Sources:
redstate.com, afslaw.com, newsbreak.com, justice.gov
