A man admitted to his role Wednesday in an elaborate multi-state insurance fraud scheme, in which he and his wife collected hundreds of thousands of dollars in payments after intentionally eating glass in restaurants, hotels and grocery stores.
Ronald Evano, 49, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court to 20 counts of conspiracy, mail fraud, wire fraud, identity theft, making false statements on health care matters and Social Security fraud. Prosecutors dropped four counts of identity fraud and health care fraud in the plea agreement.
Prosecutors say Evano and his wife, Mary, filed fraudulent insurance claims worth more than $200,000 and left a trail of unpaid medical bills totaling more than $100,000 in several states between 1997 and 2005.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Jack Pirozzolo said the two were treated at hospitals for glass ingestions at least a dozen times. They collected payments from insurance companies but never paid their hospital bills. In once instance, they took a $45,000 payment directly from a restaurant.
Evano said in court that he and his wife ate the glass because they needed money.
Evano is being held at Norfolk County Jail. He faces up to 100 years in prison and will be sentenced next month.
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