SHREVEPORT, LA—The owner and operator of a Shreveport intensive outpatient program pleaded guilty to charging Medicare for services never rendered, U.S. Attorney Stephanie A. Finley announced today.

Sharon Monroe, 43, of Shreveport, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge S. Maurice Hicks, Jr. to one count of health care fraud and one count of wire fraud. According to evidence presented at the guilty plea, from 2007 to 2011 Monroe submitted approximately $6 million in claims to Medicare for Part B psychotherapy services. As a result of the claims, she illegally received $2 million in payments from Medicare. Monroe filed claims for psychotherapy services that were never performed. She also used physicians Medicare provider numbers to submit claims without the physicians’ knowledge. In some cases, she claimed her employees rendered services in excess of 24 hours a day, that some of her employees were qualified to perform services when they were not, and that some of the services were performed at medical offices when they were not.

Monroe faces up to 10 years in prison and three years of supervised release for the health care fraud count, and up to 20 years in prison and five years of supervised release for the wire fraud count. She also faces a $250,000 fine and restitution for both counts. A sentencing date of January 8, 2015 was set.

The FBI and Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General, conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Earl Campbell is prosecuting the case.