CoEric Riley, 38, of Mesa, pleaded guilty this month to Healthcare Fraud. His co-defendant, Britney Gooch, 37, of Mesa, also pleaded guilty to Healthcare Fraud on November 21, 2024.
Sentencing for Riley and Gooch is scheduled for February 21, 2025, before United States District Judge Krissa M. Lanham.
Riley and Gooch admitted that they defrauded the Arizona Health Care Cost Containment System (AHCCCS), Arizona’s Medicaid agency, through their company New Horizons Behavioral Health, a behavioral health clinic in Mesa, Arizona. They further admitted that through New Horizons, they exploited AHCCCS’s American Indian Health Program (AIHP) by falsely billing for services that were not provided to AIHP patients. As a result of the fraudulent billing submissions, Riley and Gooch obtained approximately $3.3 million in illegitimate proceeds from AHCCCS.
A conviction for Healthcare Fraud carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000, or both.