Maine psychologist had sex with patient and billed her insurance for it
September 11, 2012
AUGUSTA, Maine – Attorney General William J. Schneider announced today that former psychologist John A. Keefe, 60, of Veazie, pled guilty to one count of Class B theft by deception and one count of Class C gross sexual assault for engaging in sexual acts with a client and billing MaineCare for mental health therapy services for that client.
Penobscot County Superior Court Justice William R. Anderson sentenced Keefe on each count to three years imprisonment with all but 120 days suspended and two years of probation, to be served concurrently. He also required Keefe to pay $14,806.52 restitution to MaineCare.
From 2007 to 2010, Keefe engaged in sexual acts with a female client while claiming to provide mental health therapy to that client. Some of the sexual acts occurred in Keefe’s office at Columbia Psychology Associates in Bangor during mental health therapy sessions that he billed to MaineCare. On June 22, 2010, Keefe surrendered his license to practice psychology during the pendency of the criminal action through entry of a consent agreement with the Maine Board of Examiners of Psychologists.
“Medical professionals in Maine are held to high ethical standards and conduct that exploits patients is a breach of trust,” said Attorney General Schneider. “Committing sexual assault of a patient is not only immoral; it is illegal and punishable by jail time.”
This case was investigated by the Bangor Police Department and Attorney General Schneider’s Criminal Division, Healthcare Crimes Unit, with assistance from the Maine State Police Computer Crimes Unit. Assistant Attorney General Valerie Wright handled this matter for the Healthcare Crimes Unit.
The Healthcare Crimes Unit is the Medicaid Fraud Control Unit for the State of Maine charged with investigating and prosecuting financial fraud and other crimes committed by MaineCare providers or their employees, and investigating and prosecuting abuse, neglect or exploitation that occurs in health care facilities or is committed by health care providers.
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