Ocala Mental Health Counselor Arrested For Aggravated Identity Theft And Fourteen Counts Of Wire Fraud

Ocala, Florida – United States Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe announces the arrest of Michelle Forsythe (61, Ocala) on an indictment charging her with 14 counts of wire fraud and 1 count of aggravated identity theft. If convicted, Forsythe faces up to 20 years in federal prison for each wire fraud count. 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. 

According to court records, Forsythe is a licensed mental health counselor.

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.     

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 Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Marion County Sheriff’s Office. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Hannah Nowalk Watson.