Two people who pleaded guilty to healthcare fraud after they used their Mesa clinic to obtain over $3 million in state funding have been sentenced.
Eric Riley, 39, and Britney Gooch, 38, admitted to taking advantage of the Arizona Health Care Cost Containment System by fraudulently billing for services that were not provided, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office of Arizona.
Gooch was sentenced to 12 months and one day imprisonment and Riley was sentenced to 24 months in prison.
The East Valley residents reportedly used their clinic, New Horizons Behavioral Health, to specifically exploit the AHCCCS program servicing Native American populations.
Over the last couple of years, officials in Arizona have been investigating a scam that targeted Native American residents by transporting them to Valley rehabs in order to use their identities to bill for health services.
The scandal initially resulted in the state suspending hundreds of health providers throughout Arizona. The state attorney general has also obtained several criminal indictments against individuals accused of perpetrating the scheme.
Riley and Gooch allegedly obtained up to $3.3 million in illegitimate proceeds from AHCCCS, prosecutors said. They must pay all of the money back in restitution.
“This case is about protecting American taxpayers, restoring the public’s trust, and safeguarding critical health care resources for the communities that truly need them,” said U.S. Attorney Timothy Courchaine. “Working with our FBI and AHCCCS-OIG partners, we not only secured convictions in this case but also maximized the recovery of stolen money through the $3.3 million restitution order.”
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