AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) – The owner of a McDuffie County behavioral therapy service faces up to 10 years in prison after pleading guilty to fraudulent insurance reimbursement claims.
Mira Stallings, 41, of Thomson, pleaded guilty to one count of health care fraud, U.S. Attorney Margaret E. Heap said.
“Our health insurance programs, particularly those that provide benefits to our military servicemembers and their dependents, are vital to those who need assistance for medical treatment,” Heap said. “With our law enforcement partners, we will aggressively pursue those who fraudulently access those funds for their own personal gain.”
Stallings is a licensed behavioral therapist and owner of ABAscape LLC, an agency that provided behavioral therapy services to individuals with developmental disabilities, according to court documents.
A parent of patients reported concerns about billing…
These frauds exploit emotional vulnerability and trust rather than technical weaknesses.
- Romance Scams: Scammers build long-term online relationships with victims, eventually fabricating a “crisis” (medical emergency, legal trouble, or travel costs) that requires the victim to send money.
- Pig Butchering: A hybrid scam where the criminal builds a romantic or platonic relationship to eventually “tutor” the victim in a fraudulent cryptocurrency investment.