Home Boston Press Releases 2010 Woman Pleads Guilty in Glass-Eating Fraud Scheme
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Woman Pleads Guilty in Glass-Eating Fraud Scheme

U.S. Attorney’s Office September 28, 2010
  • District of Massachusetts (617) 748-3100

BOSTON, MA—A Massachusetts woman pled guilty today to a 23-count indictment charging her with fraud and other offenses related to a fraudulent scheme in which she, along with her husband, submitted false insurance claims that they had ingested glass found in food they had eaten at restaurants and grocery stores in Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Maryland and the District of Columbia.

MARY EVANO, a/k/a “Mary Evans,” “Lisa Benton,” “Mary Dixon,” “Nancy Stevens,” “Lisa Moore,” “Mary Reed,” “Nancy Dixon,” and “Connie Hill,” residing at various addresses in Massachusetts, Maryland, and West Virginia, pled guilty to 23 counts of an indictment charging her and her husband, RONALD EVANO, with conspiracy and multiple counts of mail fraud, wire fraud, identity fraud, Social Security fraud, and false statements on health care matters.

The Indictment, alleged that from at least August 1997 through June 2005, the Evano’s engaged in an insurance fraud scheme pursuant to which they submitted false claims that they had been injured by restaurants, hotels, and supermarkets in Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Maryland, and the District of Columbia. The Evano’s falsely claimed that various hotels, restaurants, and supermarkets had served them food with glass particles. Although in some instances the Evano’s may have actually ingested glass particles, those glass particles did not come from food served by the restaurants, hotels, and supermarkets. Rather, the Evano’s intentionally ingested the glass particles and then falsely claimed that the restaurants, hotels, and supermarkets had caused the particles to be in food that they were served. In connection with their scheme, the Evano’s submitted their various glass ingestion claims under a variety of identities, using false identification and false Social Security number information. Through their fraudulent scheme, the Evano’s obtained in excess of $200,000 and incurred over $100,000 in medical bills, which are unpaid to date.

Evano’s husband, Ronald Evano, previously pled guilty and was sentenced to 63 months’ imprisonment in 2007. Until her apprehension earlier this year, Mary Evano had been a fugitive.

Mary Evano faces up to 143 years’ imprisonment on the various charges, to be followed by three years of supervised release. Sentencing is scheduled for December 21, 2010 at 2:00 p.m. before the Honorable Rya W. Zobel.

United States Attorney Carmen M. Ortiz and Richard DesLauriers, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation - Boston Field Division, made the announcement today. The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Massachusetts Insurance Fraud Bureau. Special thanks to the Brockton Police Department and United States Marshals Service who were instrumental in apprehending Evano. The case is being prosecuted by First Assistant U.S. Attorney Jack W. Pirozzolo.

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