A Niles couple faces several felonies for alleged false claims through their counseling practice, Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel announced today. Gregory Barney was charged with 22 counts of Medicaid fraud — false claim and his wife, Jacquelyn Barney, was charged with 17 counts of Medicaid fraud — false claim. Each charge is a four-year felony. Gregory Barney is a licensed marriage and family counselor and the owner of Highland Counseling Center located in Niles, Michigan. His wife, Jacquelyn Barney, is the office manager, administrator, and biller for the business. The investigation revealed that Jacquelyn Barney also worked as a biller for a separate local medical office, and it is alleged she obtained patient information from that practice and billed Medicaid for counseling sessions allegedly provided by Highland Counseling Center and Gregory Barney that were never provided. The clients were contacted during the investigation and stated they did not know Gregory Barney and were not counseled by him.
