Mathew Amaechi
A United States District Court has sentenced 37-year-old Nigerian national Henry Ezeonyido to 27 months in prison for masterminding a $1 million health insurance fraud scheme involving fabricated injuries, forged medical records, and fictitious international incidents, the U.S. Department of Justice has announced.
Ezeonyido, who pleaded guilty in February 2025 to one count of conspiracy to commit healthcare fraud and six counts of healthcare fraud, was ordered to repay $655,313 in restitution and forfeit $396,998 in illicit profits. U.S. District Judge Leo T. Sorokin also imposed three years of supervised release following his prison term.
Between October 2019 and February 2022, Ezeonyido submitted fraudulent claims to five U.S. health insurance companies, falsely asserting he and at least seven accomplices suffered traumatic injuries—including stabbings, gunshot wounds, and hit-and-run accidents—while traveling overseas. Investigations revealed all claimants were actually in the U.S. during the alleged incidents.
To bolster the deceit, Ezeonyido fabricated medical records, bank statements showing payments to foreign hospitals, and even fake police reports detailing the imaginary accidents. Insurance companies were billed over $1 million, with $655,313 paid out before the scheme unraveled.
Ezeonyido enlisted associates Brendon Ashe, Aqiyla Atherton, Darline Cobbler, and Ariel Lambert, who pleaded guilty to their roles and received probation. Atherton acted as an intermediary, recruiting participants in exchange for a cut of the profits. After insurers paid the claims, accomplices funneled nearly $400,000 back to Ezeonyido as kickbacks.
“These defendants exploited the trust of healthcare systems with calculated lies,” the Justice Department stated, emphasizing that the fraud siphoned resources meant for legitimate medical care.
