TUSCARAWAS COUNTY, Ohio — An Uhrichsville woman is among nine Medicaid providers indicted statewide in what investigators say is a combined $530,888 fraud scheme targeting Ohio’s government health-care program for low-income residents.
Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost announced the charges Tuesday, saying his office’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit uncovered a range of fraudulent billing practices across multiple counties.
Elizabeth Nawrot, 38, of Uhrichsville, is accused of billing Medicaid for seven days of services each week, despite admitting to investigators that she worked only six. Prosecutors say her actions resulted in a $5,337 loss to Medicaid. Nawrot is charged with Medicaid fraud.
“Cheating Medicaid earns you nothing but a court date and a criminal record,” Yost said in announcing the indictments.
The cases were investigated by the Attorney General’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit and filed this month in Franklin County Common Pleas Court. According to investigators, some providers billed for services while clients were hospitalized, sent unqualified workers in their place, or forged signatures on timesheets.
Other individuals indicted include:
- Monica Dean, 46, of Cleveland, accused of billing for full in-home care shifts she did not work, causing a $45,205 loss.
- Mustafa Issa, 34, and Ayshia Mustapha, 28, of West Chester, accused of running multiple billing schemes through their home-health business, allegedly defrauding Medicaid of $344,602.
- Andrea Johnson, 53, of South Charleston, accused of forging a client’s signature and causing a $22,886 loss.
- Mary Moore, 52, of Cincinnati, charged after allegedly falsifying timesheets, resulting in a $2,896 loss.
- Tiara Portis, 32, of Akron, who investigators say admitted to inflating hours and billing when clients were unavailable, causing a $36,380 loss.
- Alayjah Terrell, 29, of Cleveland, accused of billing during canceled service dates and while clients were hospitalized, allegedly causing a $63,471 loss.
- Gerri Toney, 59, of West Union, charged with overbilling Medicaid by $10,111.
The Attorney General’s Office said the Medicaid Fraud Control Unit works with federal and local partners to investigate fraud and protect vulnerable adults. All cases will proceed through Franklin County’s court system.
