Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost: 16 Medicaid providers statewide indicted for stealing a combined $1.7 million

Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost has announced a new round of indictments against multiple Medicaid providers statewide, including several from Greater Cleveland, on felony charges of fraud and theft.

According to a release from Yost’s office, the cases include “two people who, because of felony convictions, were prohibited from providing services to Medicaid recipients yet received hundreds of thousands of dollars, a home health aide who billed for services while on a cruise to Hawaii, and several providers who billed for home services while their clients were in the hospital.”

The Medicaid Fraud Control Unit, an arm of Yost’s office, investigated the cases and secured the indictments in Franklin County Common Pleas Court.

“Medicaid fraud may be a financial crime, but it comes at a human cost,” Yost said. “It preys on the vulnerable who depend on the program and betrays the trust of the taxpayers who fund it.”

Below are the list of those indicted on state charges from Ohio, with a description from Yost’s office of their alleged crimes:

Ralph Wells, 47, of Ashtabula, drew investigators’ attention after a tip alleged he was billing for services not rendered. Agents with the Medicaid Fraud Control Unit found the allegation to be unfounded but learned that Wells had been convicted of murder in West Virginia in 1998 and, consequently, was ineligible to be a Medicaid provider. Despite that, Wells had his employers bill Medicaid $230,936 for services.
Lineil Massey, 67, of Akron, also was found to be acting illegally as a Medicaid home health care provider after investigators uncovered convictions of involuntary manslaughter and felonious assault. Despite being barred from the program, Massey billed $4,633 for services.
Neesha Haynes, 39, of Eastlake, was indicted for aggravated theft, a second-degree felony, and Medicaid fraud for improper billing when clients were hospitalized from January 2022 to June 2025. Investigators identified a $819,400 loss to Medicaid. Three people who worked with Haynes also were indicted: Tanesha Timberlake, 37, of East Cleveland, Tiara Jeffries, 40, of Euclid, and Emily Jeffries, of Eastlake.
Leon Shephard, 36, of Cleveland, was indicted on one count of Medicaid fraud. Between January 2024 and July 2024, he allegedly overbilled for services to seven people, a loss of $488,444 to Medicaid.
Kyle Cherry, 30, of Chicago, was charged after investigators determined that $129,912 was improperly paid to him for overbilling between August 2024 and July 2025.
Tanisha Brooks, 40, of Canton, was indicted for Medicaid fraud and theft after an investigation calculated a $3,615 loss to Medicaid. The home health aide is suspected of billing for services not rendered and providing care while under the influence of drugs. A pair of anonymous tips prompted the investigation.
Jameshia Harkness, 33, of Toledo, allegedly billed for 49 dates of service for which she did not provide care, representing a $8,391 loss to Medicaid.
Danielle Morgan, 41, of West Union, is accused of submitting bills for services not rendered. She allegedly continued the fraudulent billing even after she was told by a Medicaid recipient to stop coming. In total, she billed for $5,832.
Sean Sisler, 52, of Lorain, was indicted for Medicaid fraud after investigators determined that he participated in a kickback scheme and received $21,228 he was not due.
Patricia Gattshall, 41, of Marion, submitted fraudulent timesheets indicating she provided home health services when in reality she was on a cruise from Los Angeles to Hawaii. When confronted with travel records and social media posts proving that she was on the cruise, she initially claimed that the patient accompanied her on the vacation. In total, $1,518 was fraudulently billed to Medicaid.
Roiesha Pettiford, 41, of Columbus, Gina Dillon-Gardner, 40, of New Carlisle, and Burgandy Jones, 44, of Cleveland, were indicted in separate cases involving a loss to Medicaid of $7,425. They claimed they provided home health services to Medicaid recipients, but investigators later determined that the recipients were in the hospital on the dates that the services were said to be provided.

Tuesday’s announcement marks the fourth major batch of indictments that the Medicaid Fraud Control Unit have secured since the start of the summer.

Most recently, on Aug. 15, nine home-health aides and one provider of home-delivered meals were indicted amid accusations that they stole a combined $1.9 million.

On July 10, Yost announced the indictment of nine Medicaid providers accused “of stealing a combined $1.2 million from the government health-care program for the needy” by “billing Medicaid for services they did not provide.”

An additional 13 Medicaid providers statewide were indicted on June 30, accused of billing Medicaid “for a combined $189,332 in services they did not provide, resulting in felony charges of Medicaid fraud and theft.” Several of those 22 people indicted were from Northeast Ohio.

Merrill Lynch is facing legal fallout from a second Florida financial advisor in recent months for engaging in criminal activity.

InvestmentNews reported during the summer that a former Merrill Lynch financial advisor, Isaiah T. Williams, was arrested in June for his alleged involvement in the theft of almost $2.6 million from Reshad Jones, a one-time Miami Dolphins safety.

A few weeks later, another former Merrill Lynch advisor, Lino “Joe” Gutierrez, was sentenced to 17 years and six months in federal prison and ordered to pay more than $5.6 million in restitution for his role in a scheme to defraud Medicare. Gutierrez, 59, was sentenced July 25, in federal court in Tampa.

Gutierrez in April was found guilty by a jury of conspiracy to commit healthcare and wire fraud, conspiracy to violate the federal anti-kickback statute, five substantive counts of health care fraud, and four substantive counts of payment of kickbacks in connection with a heath care program.
According to testimony and evidence presented at trial, Gutierrez and his co-conspirators owned and operated two durable medical equipment companies that collectively billed Medicare more than $10.9 million for medically unnecessary equipment, of which more than $5 million was paid to Gutierrez and his co-conspirators.

“Merrill Lynch fired Gutierrez earlier this year, and he had been on unpaid leave since September 2023,” a company spokesperson said Monday morning.

According to his BrokerCheck profile, Guitierrez was based in Stuart, which is north of West Palm on the state’s Atlantic coast. A 16-year veteran of the securities industry, he worked there for Merrill Lynch starting in 2017 before being fired this year.

“Guitierrez was making more money with his kickback scheme than working at Merrill Lynch, and he has to pay back more than $5 million,” said Kristian Kraszewski, a plaintiff’s attorney representing at least two families in the matter.

One is seeking $1 million in damages in a FINRA arbitration claim filed last year against Merrill Lynch, claiming that the financial advisor did not act in the client’s best interest. Kraszewski filed a second FINRA arbitration complaint last week against the firm for clients of Guitierrez, alleging negligence, violation of industry rules and other claims.

From October 2018 to April 2019, Gutierrez conspired with others to steal millions of dollars from Medicare by creating sham companies that shipped braces to Medicare beneficiaries —some of whom co-conspirators identified through telemarketing and others whose personal identifying information conspirators stole to submit fraudulent Medicare claims, according to the Department of Justice.

“Gutierrez and his conspirators paid kickbacks to other companies in exchange for signed doctors’ orders,” according to the Department of Justice. “These companies used overseas call centers to solicit patients and fraudulent telemedicine companies to procure fake prescriptions for braces for Medicare beneficiaries.”

An Essex County man is facing health care and tax fraud charges after federal investigators said he took over his dead sister’s counseling practice and filed false Medicaid claims totaling more than $3.4 million.

Vincente Lopez, 63, of East Orange, was indicted for health-care claims fraud and theft by deception, both second-degree crimes.

Attorney General Matthew J. Platkin said Tuesday Lopez is the head of Joyce Lopez & Associates, a counseling practice he took over from his sister, who died in 2021.

The practice, which has offices in East Orange and Paterson, provides mental health services and accepts most insurances, including Medicaid, according to a company video.

Lopez allegedly billed Medicaid 34,000 times for psychological services even though neither he nor the company was an approved Medicaid provider.

Lopez received about $3.4 million from Medicaid, according to Platkin.

In a statement, Platkin alleged Lopez either billed or directed employees to bill under the name of a licensed psychiatrist who was unaware of the alleged scheme.

The psychiatrist never provided services to patients at Joyce Lopez & Associates, according to Platkin.

“Lopez also allegedly billed Medicaid when a patient canceled an appointment or did not show up, and allegedly billed Medicaid for psychological services when JLA was only delivering case management services,” Platkin’s statement said.

Additionally, Lopez allegedly failed to pay state taxes for 2021, 2022, and 2023.

After being notified by the state, he filed returns but did not report his full income, Platkin alleged.

As of June 18, Lopez owed New Jersey $52,372 in personal income taxes. He also faces a civil fraud penalty of $26,186 and $21,151 in interest, bringing his total liability to $99,709, Platkin said.

Platkin asked anyone who suspects Medicaid fraud to call investigators at 609-292-1272, or email at NJMFCU@njdcj.org.

Today, Missouri Attorney General Catherine Hanaway announced that a grand jury in Cole County has returned indictments in four major cases of alleged Medicaid fraud in the St. Louis region. Collectively, these cases account for more than $230,000 in fraudulent claims, demonstrating the Office’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit’s (MFCU) ongoing commitment to protecting taxpayer dollars and ensuring the integrity of Missouri’s Medicaid system.

“Medicaid fraud is stealing taxpayer resources and victimizing at-risk Missourians,” said Attorney General Hanaway. “These indictments show that our Office will not hesitate to hold accountable those who exploit the system for personal gain, whether it be individuals or companies, entrusted with caring for patients.”

The following defendants allegedly defrauded Medicare programs when they were the very individuals entrusted with the care of the elderly and disabled:

Case 1: Licensed Nurse Repeats History of Fraud

In one of the most serious cases, Sharon Cox, a licensed practical nurse (LPN), has been charged with submitting 220 false nursing reports between March 2021 and November 2023 while employed through Harris Best Care, Inc. These reports included fabricated patient vital signs and records of visits that never occurred, including visits allegedly conducted while one Medicaid recipient was hospitalized. In total, Cox’s false claims resulted in Medicaid payments of more than $11,000.

Investigators also discovered that Cox was simultaneously clocking in for other Medicaid services through a separate provider, Prestige Home Health Team, while submitting nursing reports to Harris Best at the same time. This pattern mirrors Cox’s prior misconduct: in 2011, the Missouri State Board of Nursing disciplined her license for falsifying similar documentation. Attorney General Hanaway emphasized that this case illustrates the extreme betrayal of trust when licensed professionals, who have already been disciplined for fraud, continue to abuse the system.

Case 2: Company Owner Turns Business Into Fraud Operation

In this case, the scheme was not limited to a single provider. Daja Cotton, owner of Trinity Cares LLC, transformed her company into a vehicle for fraud, directing a systematic pattern of overbilling that exploited Medicaid on a large scale.

From January 2023 through September 2024, Trinity Cares consistently billed Medicaid for the maximum number of hours authorized in client care plans, a common scheme called, “billing from the care plan.” In many cases, no time records existed at all to justify the claims. This fraudulent business model allowed Cotton’s company to steal more than $141,000 from Missouri Medicaid. In a recorded interview, Cotton admitted she knew her company’s practices constituted Medicaid fraud but continued them anyway.

Case 3: Mother-Daughter Team Defrauds Medicaid

Peggy Reed and her daughter Angel Sewell collaborated in a fraudulent scheme in which Sewell, employed full-time at BJC Healthcare, and was listed as providing in-home care for Medicaid recipients while she was simultaneously on the clock working hospital shifts. Reed provided minimal services, if any, while billing was submitted under Sewell’s name.

Between January 2023 and June 2024, this scheme resulted in Medicaid paying more than $61,000 in false claims, including over $35,000 billed for a single patient. Reed also billed for overlapping services to two recipients simultaneously, resulting in nearly $4,400 in additional fraudulent payments.

Case 4: Fabricated Care While Patient Worked Security Job

MFCU also charged Sharon Jackson, a personal care attendant, and Cheri Selmane, a Medicaid recipient, in connection with a scheme that falsely billed Missouri Medicaid for in-home services never rendered. Jackson submitted 182 false claims between May 2022 and December 2023, totaling more than $19,000 in fraudulent Medicaid payments.

Investigators discovered that during the hours Jackson claimed to be providing care in Selmane’s home, Selmane was actively working as a full-time security guard for GardaWorld. Jackson’s electronic visit verification records also showed clock-ins from her own residence rather than Selmane’s address. Selmane’s active concealment of her employment from Medicaid and Family Support Division authorities further supported the fraud.

Attorney General Hanaway continued, “These cases, spanning from repeat-offender nurses, to family conspiracies, to corporate overbilling, show that Medicaid fraud comes in many forms, but the result is always the same: Missouri taxpayers and vulnerable patients suffer. Our Office will continue to pursue these cases aggressively, recover stolen funds, and ensure those responsible are held to account.”

Medicaid Fraud Control Unit Chief Counsel Arvids V. Petersons said, “Our team serves as a specialized law enforcement unit dedicated to protecting the integrity of Missouri’s Medicaid program and the safety of its most vulnerable citizens. The unit also investigates and prosecutes allegations for abuse and neglect in Missouri’s Long Term Care Facilities and other licensed facilities that care for Missouri’s most vulnerable.”

About Missouri Attorney General’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit:
Medicaid Fraud Control Unit’s mission is twofold: first, to investigate and prosecute fraud committed by Medicaid providers who unlawfully divert taxpayer dollars, and second, to hold accountable those who commit abuse, neglect, or financial exploitation in Medicaid-funded facilities. By aggressively pursuing both financial and patient-protection cases, the Unit safeguards public resources while ensuring that Missourians who rely on Medicaid receive the quality of care and dignity they deserve.

Just as MFCU demonstrates the Attorney General’s commitment to protecting vulnerable Missourians and safeguarding taxpayer dollars, the Office is proud to be home to some of the state’s most skilled prosecutors and investigators. Attorneys interested in joining this tradition of excellence and public service are encouraged to explore current opportunities at https://ago.mo.gov/about-us/job-opportunities/.

The Missouri Medicaid Fraud Control Unit receives 75 percent of its funding from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services under a grant award totaling $3,551,892.00 for Federal fiscal year (FY) 2025. The remaining 25 percent, totaling $1,183,960.00 for FY 2025, is funded by Missouri.

A Bethel psychologist has been charged with four felony counts of Medicaid fraud after an investigation determined Vermont Medicaid had been defrauded of more than $600,000 in public health care funds.

Robert Vaillancourt, 76, is accused of overbilling and billing for services never rendered, hundreds of times, according to an investigation by the attorney general’s Medicaid Fraud and Residential Abuse Unit (MFRAU).

The AG’s charges include four felony counts of Medicaid fraud for services not rendered. Each count could result in a fine of up to $1,000 or “up to an amount equal to twice the amount wrongfully obtained,” or imprisonment for not more than 10 years, or both.

Vaillancourt pleaded not guilty in Windsor County Criminal Court, and Superior Court Judge Elizabeth Mann ordered Vaillancourt released on his own recognizance pending trial.

The investigation by MFRAU and the Secretary of State’s Office of Professional Regulation began after the Department of Vermont Health Access expressed concerns about Vaillancourt’s overall therapeutic and billing practices.

The charges are related to actions dating back to Oct. 1, 2019.

According to an affidavit in support of probable cause filed with the court, Detective Michael Hemond, who is with MFRAU, said Vaillancourt had been paid for services ranging from 45 to 60 minutes when he had actually only met with patients for less than 10 minutes, in some cases billing Vermont Medicaid for services not provided at all.

Hemond wrote that the special investigations unit found concerns with the quality of medical records Vaillancourt kept in 2022 and 2024.

In November 2022, Hemond said in the affidavit, the Special Investigation Unit investigation found that “80% of the randomly sampled records did not support billing requirements, and one instance of a non-covered service being billed was also found.”

In February 2024, SIU was notified of an unusually high number of claims submitted for one patient despite the individual potentially living outside Vermont, and the patient occasionally spoke to Vaillancourt for “30 seconds at a time” for which Vaillancourt billed for hour-long sessions, according to the affidavit.

The affidavit details more than a dozen specific patients who were interviewed about their treatment.

Vaillancourt billed for services to one patient 300 times for one-hour sessions, but the patient estimated them to have lasted only 10 to 20 minutes.

Another time, Vaillancourt billed 80 times, 77 of which were for one-hour sessions, but the patient estimated the phone calls lasted about 10 minutes.

Another patient told investigators that her appointments were for “ten minutes if I was lucky” and stated that she had documentation of the telephone number Vaillancourt called her from, as well as the date, time, and duration of calls. Vaillancourt submitted 98 therapy sessions that were billed for an hour from November 2018 through July 2024.

And another patient, for whom Vaillancourt billed 30 sessions for an hour in late 2023, said he didn’t remember receiving therapy at all during the time and provided phone records for 12 calls from Vaillancourt that went to voicemail but were billed for one-hour sessions.

The affidavit reports that SIU initially calculated that from January 2021 to March 2024, Vermont Medicaid had paid Vaillancourt approximately $457,645.26 for services rendered to clients when the administrative review estimated that Vaillancourt had been overpaid by approximately $276,905 from 2021 to 2024.

In all, the affidavit says Vaillancourt billed at least $1,337,140.12 to Medicaid and Medicare programs, resulting in a total payment to Vaillancourt of at least $752,403.68 from January 2020 to September 2024.

Vaillancourt requested a public defender. In his application, he stated his total income the past 12 months has been $25,200 and has monthly bills of $2,225.