Owasso Woman Pleads Guilty to Medicaid Fraud

OKLAHOMA CITY – Today, MELISSA FIKE, 52, of Owasso, Oklahoma, pleaded guilty to two counts of health care fraud, announced U.S. Attorney Robert J. Troester.

On March 6, 2024, Fike was charged with two counts of health care fraud. According to the Information, in 2018 Fike contracted as a licensed behavioral health practitioner for two Oklahoma counseling service providers, located in Coweta and Tulsa. As a result, Fike was eligible for reimbursement from Medicaid for providing counseling services to Medicaid beneficiaries and would receive a percentage of the reimbursement for each claim. The Information alleges that between October 2018 and September 2020, Fike submitted to the Oklahoma Health Care Authority numerous fraudulent claims for Medicaid reimbursement, resulting in approximately $171,000.00 worth of payments from the Medicaid program.

Today, Fike pleaded guilty, and admitted to submitting Medicaid claims for services she never actually rendered. At sentencing, Fike faces up to 10 years in federal prison and fines totaling up to $250,000 for each count.

“Protecting the integrity of Medicaid is of upmost importance because many of Oklahoma’s most vulnerable citizens depend on these services to be available when they need it,” said United States Attorney Robert Troester. “We are proud to partner with the Oklahoma Attorney General’s Office in our efforts to protect Medicaid funds.”

“I am proud of the tremendous work of my office’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit in this investigation,” said Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond. “The Office of the Attorney General takes very seriously our commitment to rooting out Medicaid fraud to ensure taxpayer dollars are used correctly and that bad actors are held accountable.”

This case is the result of an investigation by the Medicaid Fraud Control Unit of the Office of the Oklahoma Attorney General. Assistant U.S. Attorney D.H. Dilbeck is prosecuting the case.

Reference is made to public filings for additional information.