A Brentwood man was sentenced to more than five years in prison for his role in a fraudulent health plan scheme that targeted people who were denied traditional health insurance due to pre-existing conditions.

Timothy Thomas, 55, was sentenced Monday in U.S. District Court to 66 months in prison. He also was ordered to forfeit $1.5 million and pay more than $2.5 million in restitution to the victims of the scheme, according to a release from the U.S. Department of Justice.

Thomas pleaded guilty in March to one count of mail fraud and one count of contempt.

He is the former owner and CEO of Nashville-based United Benefits of America LLC, a telemarketing company that sold limited-benefit health plans to consumers who believed they were purchasing traditional health insurance.

While operating the company from at least 2007 to 2010, Thomas hired sales associates to sell “association memberships” created by third-party companies over the phone to consumers.

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