A Taunton man, previously residing in Brockton, has been sentenced for orchestrating a health care fraud scheme that defrauded insurance companies of over $1 million. Henry Ezeonyido, 37, received a 27-month prison sentence followed by three years of supervised release. He was also ordered to pay $655,313 in restitution and forfeit $396,998 in criminal proceeds. Ezeonyido pleaded guilty in February 2025 to one count of conspiracy to commit health care fraud and six counts of health care fraud.
Ezeonyido was arrested alongside co-conspirators Brendon Ashe, Aqiyla Atherton, Darline Cobbler, and Ariel Lambert in July 2024. A federal grand jury indicted him in September 2024. All four co-defendants pleaded guilty and were sentenced to probation.
Between October 2019 and February 2022, Ezeonyido submitted fraudulent claims on behalf of himself and at least seven others to five different health insurance companies. The claims falsely stated that the individuals incurred medical expenses during international travel due to fake traumatic injuries like stabbings or gunshot wounds. In reality, these individuals were in the United States at the time.
Some participants knowingly took part in the scheme while others were unaware or manipulated into providing their insurance information. Ezeonyido used fabricated documents such as medical records and police reports to support the fraudulent claims.
The scheme resulted in over $1 million billed to victim insurance companies with payments totaling approximately $655,313 made for services never rendered. Upon receiving payments from insurers, Ashe, Cobbler, Lambert and others paid portions back to Ezeonyido and other conspirators including Atherton who acted as an intermediary.
The announcement was made by United States Attorney Leah B. Foley; Kimberly Milka from the FBI's Boston Division; Ketty Larco-Ward from the U.S. Postal Inspection Service’s Boston Division; and Anthony DiPaolo from the Insurance Fraud Bureau. Assistant U.S. Attorney Leslie A. Wright prosecuted the case.
