Mother, daughter who stole $192K sentenced to probation and restitution in Winona insurance fraud scheme [La Crosse Tribune, Wis.]

Aug. 11—Kristine Hollund, an unlicensed Winona therapist, was sentenced to five years probation Thursday and ordered with her daughter to pay back the nearly $200,000 stolen through false insurance claims.

Hollund, 56, pleaded guilty to two counts of aiding and abetting theft by swindle in a scheme that prosecutors said spanned from April 2016 to January 2019. Hollund's four other charges of aiding and abetting theft were dismissed.

Court documents say Athena Counseling Services — Hollund's company where her daughter Brittany Lindner is the CFO, manager, and biller — defrauded several coverage providers by billing for services that either weren't provided, were provided by Hollund after her license was suspended, billed under the wrong provider number, or had no documentation that services occurred.

Athena fraudulently obtained $192,000 based on Hollund and Lindner's conduct.

Lindner, 36, received an identical sentence earlier this year. Together, they were ordered to repay the full amount to six insurance providers.

The amounts include $117,000 to Blue Cross Blue Shield, $24,000 to Medica, $27,000 to UCare, $17,000 to the Minnesota Department of Human Services, $8,000 to Preferred One and $670 to Aetna. In addition to probation and the restitution, Hollund was ordered to serve 120 hours of community service.

The Medicaid Fraud Control Unit of the state Attorney General's Office alleged there were over 1,000 instances in which Hollund and Lindner billed for unprovided or fraudulent services.

Court documents show one example of fraudulent services came from a client who saw Hollund regularly before moving away in January 2018. Athena received over $1,600 for sessions between January and April of that year.

The documents also show examples of conversations between Hollund and Lindner about falsifying client documents with one June 2018 conversation that shows Lindner telling Hollund, "I am having to doctor so much on these documents and re-write ones with your name on them I'm so tired!"

Also, in late December 2018, Lindner asked Hollund, "Do you think telling them that I submit the claims is safe," and "I don't know if I want to be charged with fraud."

Additionally, Hollund's license was suspended for 3 years in October 2016 by the Board of Behavioral Health and Therapy for lying to the board about a sexual relationship she had with a man she later married.

During her suspension, Hollund continued to provide services or contracted other therapists to do so.

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