A former Sequim chiropractor accused of double-billing the state Department of Labor and Industries appeared Dec. 4 in Clallam County Superior Court and pleaded not guilty.

Marc A. Ferrin, 44, of Jefferson City, Mo., was charged Nov. 20 with one count of first-degree theft and nine counts of "criminal liability of persons making false statements or concealing information."

Ferrin owned Coastal Chiropractic Center in Sequim and also COBI Chiropractic Center on Bainbridge Island.

He moved to Jefferson City in the spring of 2009, where he operates a new clinic, JC Chiropractic.

At the Dec. 4 hearing, Ferrin agreed to return for future court dates and waived his right to a speedy trial.

A 10-day trial before Judge Brooke Taylor was set for May 3, 2010.

During a Sept. 24, 2008, search of Ferrin’s Sequim office, officers seized an appointment calendar and 523 billing records, daily receipts, patient charts and treatment notes.

A 20-page affidavit filed Nov. 20, 2009, by assistant attorney general Susan Danpullo alleges Ferrin billed Labor and Industries 176 times on behalf of eight clients for whom no appointment records existed.

An internal Labor and Industries audit determined Ferrin fraudulently billed the agency for $11,538.32.

Reach Brian Gawley at bgawley@

sequimgazette.com.