Nashville CEO forged signatures for fake therapy, U.S. Attorney says
Mariah TimmsA former Nashville CEO was arrested in North Dakota this week after investigators say she stole more than $1 million from Medicare and Medicaid.
Margaret Fisher, 60, used to be the CEO of Fishield Behavioral Medical Services, Inc. in Madison.
While there, Fisher regularly submitted false claims to Medicare and Medicaid, the U.S. Attorney's office said.
Forging signatures
She allegedly "represented that Fishield patients received psychotherapy services" — except the psychotherapist says that never happened. The healthcare provider was not named in the release from the U.S. Attorney's office.
In total, the fraudulent claims brought more than $1 million into Fisher's hands, according to investigators.
To make them seem legitimate, Fisher would forge (or possibly tell someone else to forge) the healthcare provider's signature on the forms, investigators say.
No response from company
A number posted online for Fishield was not in service on Friday afternoon, the company's Facebook page had not been active since January 2017 and the company's website led to an error page.
Fisher was indicted on charges of healthcare fraud and aggravated identity theft in November. She was arrested in North Dakota by U.S. Marshals on Thursday.
Prison time possible
If she is convicted, Fisher faces a sentence of up to 10 years in prison on the healthcare fraud charges and an additional mandatory two-year sentence on the aggravated identity theft charges.
Additionally, each count could require a $250,000 fine, and she would have to forfeit any property derived from the alleged criminal activity.
The case was investigated by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation.
Reach Mariah Timms at mtimms@tennessean.com or 615-259-8344 and on Twitter @MariahTimms.