COVID ‘No-Cost’ Tests – $500M Claims

Person holding a vial labeled COVID-19 Vaccine. — Photo: Shutterstock

The man who helped run a lab just admitted he turned “no-cost” COVID tests into a claims machine that pulled in tens of millions.

Story Snapshot

Fast Lab’s former chief operating officer Hasan “Lucas” Seyhun pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit health care fraud.
Prosecutors say he helped submit more than $500 million in claims, yielding at least $35 million in illicit payments.
The plan used online “no cost” test offers to collect insurance details and bill for services not done or not as promised.
Charges and summaries also name the chief executive and the medical director as alleged co-conspirators.

Guilty Plea Sets the Case’s Backbone

Federal investigators say Fast Lab’s former chief operating officer, Hasan “Lucas” Seyhun, admitted he took part in a nationwide billing scheme tied to COVID testing. He pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit health care fraud. Officials report he acknowledged orchestrating claims that topped $500 million, with at least $35 million actually paid out. The plea cements his personal role, and it puts a senior insider on record under oath about how the business worked during the pandemic response.

$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

The government’s account says the scheme was simple and powerful. People were lured with “no cost” COVID tests ordered online. The site asked for insurance details to ship kits or schedule testing. Prosecutors say Fast Lab then billed programs for services that never happened or were not done as claimed. The categories included supervision of antigen tests, saliva collection, and lab-based polymerase chain reaction testing. Each was allegedly misused to pump up claims volume.

How ‘No Cost’ Became Very Costly

Records summarize a workflow that exploited speed, fear, and weak oversight. The website promised quick help. The order funnel captured personal and insurance data. Billing agents then submitted high-dollar claims that government and private plans processed at scale. The indictment summaries cite roughly $566 million in claims tied to these services. The plea materials focus on more than $500 million in claims and confirm at least $35 million reached the conspirators, with a personal forfeiture figure for Seyhun exceeding $4.3 million.

The names and roles are not vague. Prosecutors identify Hasan “Lucas” Seyhun as chief operating officer, Cemhan “Jimmy” Biricik as chief executive officer, and Dr. Martin Perlin as medical director. The government says Seyhun admitted conspiring with both men. That explicit structure matters. It signals a coordinated enterprise with defined duties rather than a lone bad actor. It also sets a clear frame for sentencing and for any further corporate or individual liability proceedings.

The Larger Pattern of Pandemic-Era Lab Fraud

This case fits a wider map of fraud tactics that appeared during the pandemic. Agencies have charged hundreds of defendants in schemes that ranged from billing for tests never run to padding claims with extra respiratory panels patients did not need. Some outfits used health fairs or drive-through sites to gather personal data that later fueled unrelated billing. The government’s national enforcement results highlight the scale and the speed of these cases as agencies tightened audits and referrals.

Claims figures in public materials vary because they measure different things: total charged, amounts paid, and personal proceeds. Here, summaries refer to over $500 million in claims, around $566 million in intended fraud loss, at least $35 million paid out, and a $4,313,153 forfeiture tied to Seyhun. The gap between those numbers does not weaken the case’s core. It reflects how billing pipelines overstate totals, while actual payments and personal take-home land far lower.

Why This Matters to Every Insured American

Every dollar siphoned through fake or padded claims hits families as higher premiums, taxes, and co-pays. When a lab markets “no cost,” someone pays. If that “someone” is a program funded by workers and seniors, the loss is not abstract. It shows up in next year’s bill or reduced benefits. Conservatives often stress accountability and guardrails. This case backs that stance. Speed without checks invites abuse. Strong audits and fast clawbacks protect both liberty and the paycheck.

What Comes Next in Enforcement

The Department of Justice and health inspectors have kept COVID-era cases on the front burner. National updates show continuing charges and pleas as agents trace billing trails across Medicare, Medicaid, military health programs, and private plans. The Seyhun plea adds pressure on named associates and vendors in the chain and gives prosecutors insider testimony on mechanics and intent. Sentencing will turn on loss calculations and cooperation, a familiar path in complex health care fraud matters.