Mesa Residents Sentenced to Prison for Fraud Targeting AHCCCS
PHOENIX, Ariz. / Friday, February 27, 2026 – Eric Riley, 39, and Britney Gooch, 38, both of Mesa, were recently sentenced by U.S. District Judge Krissa M. Lanham for defrauding the Arizona Health Care Cost Containment System (AHCCCS), Arizona’s Medicaid agency.
Riley was sentenced on Feb. 6, 2026, to 24 months of imprisonment. Gooch was sentenced on Feb. 20, 2026, to 12 months and one day of imprisonment. Riley and Gooch were also ordered to pay $3.3 million in restitution to AHCCCS. Both defendants previously pleaded guilty to Healthcare Fraud.
Riley and Gooch defrauded AHCCCS through their company, New Horizons Behavioral Health, a behavioral health clinic in Mesa. Through New Horizons, they exploited AHCCCS’s American Indian Health Program (AIHP) between 2020 and 2022 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.
“This case is about protecting American taxpayers, restoring the public’s trust, and safeguarding critical health care resources for the communities that truly need them,” said U.S. Attorney Timothy Courchaine. “Working with our FBI and AHCCCS-OIG partners, we not only secured convictions in this case, but also maximized the recovery of stolen money through the $3.3 million restitution order.”
FBI Phoenix conducted the investigation with substantial assistance from the AHCCCS Office of Inspector General. The U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, Phoenix, handled the prosecution.
CASE NUMBER: CR-24-01794
RELEASE NUMBER: 2026-041_Riley, Gooch
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For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/
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Contact
Public Affairs
Lennea Montandon
Telephone: (602) 514-7542
Lennea.Montandon@usdoj.gov
Source: U.S. Attorney's Office, District of Arizona
