In a recent development concerning a sophisticated health care fraud scheme that targeted insurance companies for over $1 million, a federal indictment has been announced against one Massachusetts resident, while three others—two from Massachusetts and one from New York—are set to plead guilty to conspiracy charges related to the fraud. The accused, Henry Ezeonyido of Brockton, 36, is charged with one count of conspiracy to commit health care fraud and six counts of health care fraud, whereas his accomplices, Brendon Ashe, 40, of Dorchester; Darline Cobbler, 40, of Randolph; and Ariel Lambert, 34, of Brooklyn, have all agreed to guilty pleas according to documents unveiled by the Justice Department on its website.
These individuals are alleged to have fabricated claims for reimbursement of non-existent medical expenses purportedly incurred while abroad, including traumatic injuries like stabbings and gunshot wounds, purportedly requiring hospitalization in other countries. This scheme was executed from around October 2019 to February 2022; fabricated documents including medical records, bank records, and police reports were allegedly provided to support their claims. As the fraudulent health care claims were made, various insurance companies were billed for more than a million dollars for treatments that were never administered.
The fraud charges suggest that after receiving the ill-gotten money from the health insurers, Ashe, Cobbler, Lambert, and others would pay a portion of these proceeds to Ezeonyido and other conspirators involved in the scheme. Health care fraud and conspiracy to commit such fraud carry severe penalties—up to 10 years of imprisonment, three years of supervised release, and fines amounting to $250,000 or twice the gross gain or loss from the offense, whichever is greater; these sentences, which fall within the purview of federal guidelines, are to be determined by a district court judge based on the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and related statutes.
The investigation into this conspiracy was a collaborative effort, announced by Acting U.S. Attorney Joshua S. Levy along with officials from the FBI's Boston Division, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service's Boston Division, and the Insurance Fraud Bureau. Assistant U.S. Attorney Leslie Wright of the Health Care Fraud Unit is spearheading the prosecution effort. It is important to note that the allegations against Ezeonyido, who has yet to be proven guilty, must be substantiated in court as the presumption of innocence remains steadfast until a verdict is rendered.
