A Vicksburg man, Laron Evans, has been sentenced to 32 years in federal prison for his involvement in a complex scheme involving health care fraud, money laundering, identity theft, and contempt of court. U.S. District Judge Henry T. Wingate also ordered Evans to pay $1,917,231.26 in restitution to the victims.
Court documents reveal that Evans conspired with Travious Quinshad Jackson and others to execute a fraudulent scheme using Health Savings Accounts (HSAs). They used interstate wire communications and the U.S. postal system to send personal identification information of 57 individuals, falsely claiming they were employees of a fictitious company, to a third-party administrator in Maryland.
The administrator created HSA accounts and debit cards for these supposed employees and mailed them to addresses in Vicksburg. Funds were credited to these accounts and spent by Evans and his accomplices on various consumer goods during April and May 2018.
In July 2018, Evans used proceeds from the fraud to purchase a Chevrolet Suburban SUV for $44,335 in cash plus a trade-in vehicle. Despite being released on bond with travel restrictions pending trial, Evans traveled outside Mississippi without permission in April 2019 and continued his fraudulent activities.
Evans pleaded guilty on August 1, 2019. His co-defendant Jackson pleaded guilty earlier on June 18, 2019, receiving a two-year sentence along with an order to pay $302,099.34 in restitution.
U.S. Attorney Todd W. Gee announced the sentencing alongside Special Agent Robert A. Eikhoff of the FBI. The investigation involved multiple agencies including the Social Security Administration Office of the Inspector General, Vicksburg Police Department, and Warren County Sheriff’s Office.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Kimberly T. Purdie prosecuted the case.
