The owner of a Houston, Texas behavioral business was charged on Wednesday with 17 counts for a scheme to defraud Medicaid for more than $1 million, prosecutors announced.
Edward Birts, 51, the owner of Courage to Change, is accused of aggravated identity theft for allegedly unlawfully acquiring Medicaid beneficiaries’ information. He used the names, addresses and Medicaid numbers to file false claims through his business. Birts billed Medicaid for therapy sessions and psychiatric counseling that never took place.
Birts also presented himself as a doctor in psychology (PhD) but an investigation revealed that he purchased his title online and the awarded himself several bogus counseling certifications.
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