THERAPIST INDICTED FOR BILKING CLIENTS OUT OF MONEY, ESCAPING TOWN

Grand Jury Issues Warrant for Defendant’s Arrest

Atlanta- A professional counselor accused of manipulating clients out of hundreds of thousands of dollars has been indicted by a Fulton County Grand Jury. Colleen Higgins is charged with eleven counts of Theft by Taking and is awaiting extradition to Georgia from Iowa.

Higgins is accused of playing on the sympathies of her clients and asking them for money to deal with “family issues”. During the course of 2007 through 2009, Higgins allegedly “borrowed” as much as $275K from at least eight clients promising to pay them back. At least one victim was told if he did not give money he would no longer receive treatment. Higgins eventually fled the State--briefly surfacing at a convent in California and then once again in Iowa where she was recently arrested while completing a job application at a local Motel. Her counseling license has been revoked.

The case is being prosecuted by the DA’s White Collar Crime Unit. It will be assigned to a Fulton County Superior Court Judge and then scheduled for trial.

Media Contact: Yvette Brown, 404-224-0560/404-392-8867, yvette.brown@fultoncountyga.gov