Greenville autism services provider admits to healthcare fraud

GREENVILLE, S.C. (FOX Carolina) - The owner of a company that provided services for children with autism pleaded guilty to federal charges, the U.S. Attorney’s Office announced on Friday.

Nina Bourret was indicted by a grand jury in May. Her company, Agapi Behavior Consultants, advertised in-home and clinic services for children with autism across the Upstate.

An investigation uncovered that Agapi Behavior Consultants billed Medicaid for services related to autism spectrum disorder that were not rendered, or a portion of the services were not provided.

The fraudulent Medicaid claims exceeded $900,000.

Bourret pleaded guilty to making false and fraudulent statements to Medicaid. She faces up to 5 years in federal prison and a fine of up to $250,000.

A federal judge will sentence Bourret after reviewing a report from the U.S. Probation Office.

A photo of Bourret has not been released because she was never booked into a detention center, according to the District Attorney’s Office.