Portland’s counseling world is under a harsh spotlight after the Oregon Department of Justice rolled out criminal charges and guilty pleas in three separate Multnomah County Medicaid cases this week. A Portland counseling business and two therapists are at the center of the prosecutions, which officials say range from fraudulent billing to personal perks allegedly tied to Medicaid-funded care. The state’s Medicaid Fraud Unit led the investigations and says the cases are part of a broader push to safeguard Oregon Health Plan money for low-income and vulnerable patients.
What prosecutors allege
According to KGW, prosecutors say Roberto Felipe Munoz and his business, Munoz Counseling LLC, submitted Medicaid claims to CareOregon between March and Aug. 15, 2025, seeking payments they were not entitled to receive. Munoz is charged with 18 felony counts, including making false claims for health care payment, aggravated theft and aggravated identity theft.
KGW reports that therapist Zoe Thiele-Seidenberg pleaded guilty on Feb. 24 to two felony counts of making false claims. As part of that case, she surrendered her therapy license and received a sentence that includes a short jail term, probation and community service.
In a separate case, KGW also notes that therapist Haley Sanchez pleaded guilty on Feb. 25 to first-degree theft and making a false claim. Prosecutors say she used her position to issue gift cards to herself and others. Sanchez was sentenced to jail and probation and was ordered to pay restitution.
DOJ context
The Oregon Department of Justice’s Medicaid Fraud Unit says these Multnomah County prosecutions are part of its ongoing effort to crack down on provider misconduct and keep Medicaid funds where they belong: paying for patient care. Over the past decade, the unit has secured more than 250 criminal convictions and recovered over $90 million in Medicaid-related cases, according to the Oregon DOJ.
Attorney General Dan Rayfield called schemes that target public health programs “a betrayal of public trust” in the department’s statement. The Medicaid Fraud Unit, which receives federal grant funding, frequently works with insurance payors and local prosecutors when unusual or suspicious billing patterns spark an investigation.
Legal implications
Under Oregon Revised Statutes, making a false claim for health care payment is a crime under ORS 165.692, and related acts can be grouped into multiple counts. Aggravated identity theft is addressed in ORS 165.803, while theft in the first degree is defined in ORS 164.055. These statutes carry felony-level exposure that can include prison time, fines, restitution and consequences for professional licenses.
Prosecutors say the Multnomah County filings fall squarely within those laws, and note that plea deals in the cases have required restitution payments and, in at least one instance, the surrender of a professional license.
Why it matters locally
The timing of these prosecutions is striking. Oregon’s Medicaid program is already under financial pressure and heightened scrutiny after state auditors flagged millions of dollars in potentially erroneous payments. An April audit reported by OPB estimated about $15 million in potentially improper payments within the Oregon Health Plan.
State and local officials say tighter enforcement of billing rules, including criminal cases against providers, is meant to protect every dollar in the program. The goal, they argue, is to make sure limited Medicaid funds are not quietly siphoned off and instead remain available for frontline patient care and essential health services across Multnomah County and the rest of the state.
