St. Petersburg clinic owner charged with Medicaid fraud
May 28, 2020 - Willie Barnes, the owner and operator of Barnes Holistic Counseling Therapies Institute in St. Petersburg, was arrested Wednesday and charged with Medicaid provider fraud. Barnes is accused of receiving more than $15,000 in Medicaid payments for therapy never provided to clients, according to a news release from the Florida Attorney General’s office. An investigation showed Barnes also allegedly offered kickbacks for patient referrals and patient retention, which is prohibited by Medicaid provider fraud laws, the news release said. If convicted, he faces up to 20 years in prison and more than $30,000 in fines and restitution.