OHIO — Ten Medicaid providers in Ohio, including a Dayton woman, have been indicted on charges of fraud and theft, according to Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost’s office.
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The providers are accused of stealing a total of $1.9 million from the government health-care program.
The indictments, filed by the Ohio Attorney General’s office, involve nine home-health aides and one provider of home-delivered meals.
They are charged with billing Medicaid for services they allegedly did not provide, with two defendants alone responsible for over $1.7 million of the alleged fraud, the spokesperson said.
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“Would-be thieves ought to think twice before setting their sights on Medicaid dollars,” Yost said. “Our Medicaid Fraud Control Unit is always on the lookout for sticky-fingered criminals to bring to justice.”
The office said the following individuals are facing charges for their alleged actions:
- Yolanda Knox, 50, of Dayton, allegedly billed for services when not working and sent her adult children to provide services, causing a $56,666 loss
- Gabrielle Trudell Carn, 36, of Columbus, allegedly continued to bill Medicaid for services after being removed from a client’s plan of care, resulting in a $33,368 loss
- Terri Cotton, 54, of Cleveland, is accused of billing for up to 100 home-delivered meals a day for each of her four clients, leading to a loss of $1,271,639
- Shylynn Flint, 24, of Blanchester, allegedly billed for services while traveling and for shifts she missed, causing a $5,217 loss
- Toya Hale, 52, of Canton, is accused of engaging in a kickback scheme and billing for overlapping services, resulting in a $10,204 loss
- Creshawnda Hughes, 33, of Akron, allegedly billed for more hours than worked, leading to a $25,900 loss
- Regina Johnson, 34, of Avon, reportedly billed for services while traveling, resulting in a $20,140 loss
- Sirina Powell, 50, of Canton, allegedly used her mother’s credentials to bill for services, resulting in a $5,758 loss.
- Juan Watson, 36, of Cleveland, is accused of billing for excessive hours and while traveling, leading to a $431,579 loss
- Cheyenne Williams, 61, of Cleveland, allegedly continued billing after stopping services, resulting in a $19,726 loss
The Medicaid Fraud Control Unit investigates and prosecutes healthcare providers who defraud the state Medicaid program, according to Yost’s office.
The Ohio Medicaid Fraud Control Unit receives 75% of its funding from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, with the remaining 25% funded by the Ohio Attorney General’s Office.
The indictments highlight ongoing efforts by Ohio’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit to combat fraud and protect Medicaid resources. The legal proceedings will determine the outcome for the accused individuals.
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