Ocala, Florida – In a shocking turn of events, 61-year-old Michelle Forsythe, a licensed mental health counselor, has been arrested and charged with 14 counts of wire fraud and one count of aggravated identity theft.
According to court records, between January 2016 and December 2022, Forsythe used the names and insurance policy information of 22 individuals without their knowledge or consent to overbill two health insurance companies.
Forsythe falsely claimed that she had provided counseling services to these individuals when she had not. As a result of the false billing, the health insurance companies electronically transferred payments to Forsythe for her services.
In one instance, Forsythe used the name and health insurance information for an individual whom she had never seen as a patient to fraudulently bill for her counseling services.
Michelle Forsythe faces up to 20 years in federal prison for each wire fraud count, a total of 280 years. For the aggravated identity theft count, she faces a mandatory federal prison sentence of 2 years that must be served consecutively to any other sentence imposed.
The indictment also notifies Forsythe that the United States intends to forfeit $483,511.44, which are alleged to be the proceeds of the offenses.
An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Marion County Sheriff’s Office. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Hannah Nowalk Watson.
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Key Facts
- State: Florida
- Category: White Collar Crime
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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