ARIZONA NEWS

2 Mesa clinic owners plead guilty to defrauding Medicaid agency of $3.3 million

Dec 22, 2024, 8:00 PM | Updated: Dec 23, 2024, 8:01 am

Medicaid agency...

Two Arizonans face up to 10 years in prison after pleading guilty to healthcare fraud, authorities said in a press release on Tuesday. (Pixabay photo)

(Pixabay photo)

PHOENIX — Two Arizonans face up to 10 years in prison after pleading guilty to healthcare fraud, authorities said in a press release on Tuesday.

CoEric Riley, 38, and Britney Gooch, 37, of Mesa, both admitted that they defrauded the Arizona Health Care Cost Containment System (AHCCCS), Arizona’s Medicaid agency.

They did so through their company, New Horizons Behavioral Health, a behavioral health clinic in Mesa, and also admitted that they were able to exploit AHCCCS’s American Indian Health Program (AIHP) by improperly billing for services that were not actually provided to AIHP patients.

This led to Riley and Gooch securing approximately $3.3 million in fraudulent proceeds from AHCCCS.

Sentencing for Riley and Gooch is set for Feb. 21.

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2 Mesa clinic owners plead guilty to defrauding Medicaid agency of $3.3 million