Saturday, 10 February 2018

A PAIN IN THE GLASS (Crime Story)

From 1997 to 2005, Ronald and Mary Evano turned dining in restaurants into a profitable albeit illegal scam. They used the “waiter, there is glass in my food” ruse in restaurants and supermarkets stretching from Boston to Washington, D.C. While crude, their efforts paid big dividends. They allegedly swindled insurance companies out of $200,000 and conned a generous helping of food establishments and hospitals along the way. And to top it off, in order to look authentic, the Evanos actually did eat glass. How did the Evanos pull off their scam? After ordering or buying food at restaurants, hotel bars, or supermarkets, either Ronald or May would “discover” glass in his or her food. They would then complain of the incident to management and fi ll out a report. After leaving the food establishment, they would check into the emergency room at the local hospital complaining of severe stomach pain. After presenting fake IDs and Social Security cards to hospital staff, they’d allow doctors to examine them. In some cases, x-rays would show actual pieces of glass in their stomachs (but none of it came from the food they purchased). Once released from the hospital, the couple would continue getting medical treatment for stomach pain. After racking up several thousand dollars in bills, they would file an insurance claim for their extensive “pain and suffering.” The scheme unraveled when the Insurance Fraud Bureau of Massachusetts noticed a pattern of glass-eating claims in the state. The private industry organization eventually realized that most claims were being fi led by the same couple and contacted federal authorities who then traced the couple’s trail of insurance fraud across three states and the District of Columbia. On March 16, 2006, the Evanos were indicted on mail fraud, identity theft, Social Security fraud, and making false statements on health care matters. Ronald was arrested less than a month later, but Mary—his partner in crime—is still on the lam.

Sources: Department of Justice Press Release, “Man Arrested in Glass-Eating Fraud Scheme,” (accessed June 25, 2008); Federal Bureau of Investigation, “Bizarre Meal Ticket: The Couple Who Ate Glass,” November 8, 2006

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