OHIO — Six people have been indicted after they were accused of stealing a total of over $325,000 from Medicaid.
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The indictments are part of the U.S. Department of Justice’s 2026 National Health Care Fraud Takedown, according to Ohio Attorney General (AG) Andy Wilson.
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The cases include a provider accused of falsifying timesheets, a home-health aide who billed for services while working another job, and a doctor accused of billing Medicaid almost $200,000 for fabricated behavioral-health services.
The six people indicted were Dr. Tiffany Bell, Ashley Fritz, Alexandra Holford, Deborah Nickler, Anita Nixon, and Jimmie Smith.
“Medicaid fraud steals from taxpayers and vulnerable Ohioans,” said Wilson. “If you try to cheat this program, you will be held accountable.”
Dr. Tiffany Bell, from Columbus, was charged after a Medicaid Fraud Control Unit (MFCU) revealed a loss of over $197,000, the Ohio AG’s office said.
The investigation started in 2025 after a referral flagged her for a significant spike in claims with a billing code for therapeutic services. Interviews with the families of children listed as recipients revealed that none had received services from Bell, according to Wilson.
Investigators claim that the supporting medical records were fabricated. Bell is accused of obtaining the children’s Medicaid ID numbers illegally.
A southwest Ohio woman is accused of stealing over $110,000 from Medicaid.
Anitia Nixon, 47, from Cincinnati, drew investigators’ attention after billing for prolonged periods of 16 hours per day with no days off, Wilson stated.
An MFCU investigation alleges that she could not provide all the home-health services because she also held a full-time job at a state hospital.
“Her full-time job hours and her billed in-home services totaled more than 24 hours per day,” said Wilson. “When confronted by investigators, Nixon admitted that she provided the in-home services only after her full-time shifts ended until around midnight.”
The total Medicaid loss was $110,238.
Visit this website to learn more about the indictments.
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