Staci West, a Billings licensed professional counselor, has been sentenced to three years in the Montana Women’s Prison after being found guilty of Medicaid fraud and making a false claim to a public agency.

West was convicted Oct. 22. She was ordered to pay $603,719.66 in restitution and will serve a 10-year suspended sentence after completing the prison term.

Billing allegations

The case involved Medicaid claims submitted from January 2022 through September 2025. West billed the program for counseling appointments that did not take place and for patients she did not treat.

She is barred from billing federal health insurance programs for the duration of her sentence.

Investigation

The Montana Department of Justice’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit investigated the case. Suspected Medicaid fraud may be reported by calling 800-376-1115.