A Fargo woman already sentenced in a North Dakota fraud case is now facing new Minnesota charges after prosecutors say she used real licensed professionals’ identities to work as a counselor without the credentials to do so.
Christine Marie Pryor, 55, pleaded guilty in November 2024 to theft by deception involving more than $50,000, according to Valley News Live.
She was sentenced in Cass County to first serve 180 days in jail, with a three-year sentence suspended, and received credit for 44 days already served. She was also ordered to pay $82,584.78 in restitution to Southeast Human Services in Fargo, where she worked between 2018 and 2019.
Now, Minnesota prosecutors say the same kind of conduct crossed state lines. Pryor has been charged in Clay County District Court with six theft offenses and six identity theft offenses tied to an alleged Medicaid fraud scheme of more than $150,000.
Investigators Say She Used Real Therapists’ Identities
View this post on Instagram
According to court documents cited by Valley News Live, Pryor worked at multiple health care facilities in North Dakota and Minnesota between 2018 and 2023 while using the identities and credentials of three licensed professionals without their knowledge.
Investigators say Pryor admitted she searched state licensing websites for therapists who shared her first name. She then allegedly used those therapists’ last names and license numbers when applying for counseling jobs.
The three licensed professionals told investigators they did not know Pryor was using their information and did not give her permission to do so, according to court documents.
Prosecutors also allege Pryor submitted fraudulent Capella University diplomas and transcripts to gain employment.
The North Dakota Case Involved About 150 Patients
At Southeast Human Services, Pryor worked as a licensed addiction counselor and earned $55,584.82 while providing therapy services to about 150 patients, Valley News Live reported.
She later opened NIAM Brain Injury Center in Fargo between 2020 and 2021. She also worked at The Lotus Center in Moorhead, Minnesota, from 2021 to 2023.
Two additional North Dakota charges accusing Pryor of unauthorized use of personal identifying information were dismissed on the state’s motion, according to the station.
The North Dakota case is no longer just an allegation. Pryor pleaded guilty and was sentenced in Cass County. The Minnesota charges are different: they remain pending and still have to be proven in court.
Minnesota Says Medicaid Was Billed For Unlicensed Counseling
Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison announced the new Clay County charges Tuesday as part of a broader Medicaid fraud enforcement action.
Prosecutors allege Pryor defrauded Minnesota’s Medicaid program of $156,765.51 and personally received $108,356.09 of those funds in wages.
The complaint says she claimed to provide psychotherapy and alcohol and drug counseling services to Medicaid recipients even though she had no license or credentials to provide those services.
The Minnesota case involves alleged services to 169 clients. Prosecutors say Pryor worked at Lakeland Mental Health Center and The Lotus Center in Moorhead while using other providers’ names and license numbers.
The Charges Came During A Wider Medicaid Fraud Sweep
Pryor was one of seven providers charged by Minnesota’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit as part of a broader enforcement action.
FOX 9 reported that the seven defendants are accused of more than $700,000 in combined Medicaid fraud. The cases include allegations that providers billed for services that were never provided or were performed by people without proper licenses or credentials.
Ellison said he has no patience for anyone who steals tax dollars meant to provide health care for low-income Minnesotans.
Pryor has not been convicted in the Clay County case. The Minnesota charges remain allegations, and the case will now move through court.