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Tallahassee mental health counselor, counseling center owner indicted on federal charges

Posted at 9:21 AM, Sep 19, 2019
and last updated 2019-09-19 09:21:15-04

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WTXL) — Two women have been indicted on federal charges after being accused of using their Tallahassee-based counseling center to commit health care fraud and aggravated identity theft.

Stephanie Lynn Fleming, 42, and Helen Elizabeth Storey, 37, were arrested in Maryland after a federal grand jury in Tallahassee returned an indictment.

The women are facing a charge for conspiracy to commit health care fraud, 75 counts of health care fraud, false statements in connection with a health care matter, and two counts of aggravated identity theft.

The indictment alleges that Storey was the owner of North Florida Mental Health (NFMH), a Tallahassee-based counseling center that employed Fleming as one of its licensed mental health counselors.

On or around April 15, 2016, prosecutors allege Fleming and Storey submitted false claims for payment and reimbursement to Florida Medicaid and its managed care organizations (MCOs) for psychotherapy, psychiatric diagnostic evaluations, and therapeutic behavioral services.

Document say the woman made up clinical notes and entries in numerous patients' charts for services that were never rendered.

In total, Fleming and Storey are accused of trying to fraudulently claim more than $250,000 in reimbursements from Florida Medicaid.

The indictment also alleges that both women lied about Fleming having pled guilty to a felony within the past 10 years and lied about Fleming being disbarred from participating in any state Medicaid program.

Fleming and Storey's arraignment is scheduled for Sept. 26 at 1:30 p.m.