NILES, MI - A Niles couple pleaded guilty to two felony counts each of Medicaid fraud, according to a Thursday announcement by Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel.
Gregory Barney, owner of the Highland Counseling Center in Niles and a licensed marriage and family counselor, was charged alongside his wife and the center’s office manager Jacquelyn, officials said.
On March 22, they both pleaded guilty to two counts each of fraud, a felony punishable up to four years in prison on each count, officials said. Both also agreed to pay $48,000 in restitution to the Medicaid program, officials said.
The wife took patient information from another practice while she worked as a biller for a separate medical office, officials said. She then billed Medicaid for counseling sessions provided by her husband and the center, but these sessions were never fulfilled, officials said.
Investigators interviewed clients that told them they did not know Gregory Barney and never received counseling from him, officials said.
“My office takes instances of Medicaid fraud very seriously,” Nessel said in a statement. “Charging a practitioner underscores our commitment to protecting the integrity of the Medicaid program and ensuring that taxpayer dollars are used appropriately. We will continue to vigorously prosecute those who attempt to defraud the system and hold them accountable for their actions.”
In September 2021, the couple was arrested and charged in 54th District Court in Ingham County. A sentencing is scheduled for May 30.
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