CLEVELAND, Ohio (WOIO) — Ten people across Ohio are facing criminal charges in a massive $1.9 million Medicaid fraud scheme, according to an announcement made Friday by Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost.
Seven of the accused are from Northeast Ohio. Each is alleged to have stolen from Medicaid through fake billing, unauthorized services, or kickback schemes. Here’s a breakdown of the cases, as described by Yost’s office:
Gabrielle Trudell Carn, 36, of Columbus: Continued billing for care services for six months after removal from a client’s plan, causing $33,368 in losses.
Terri Cotton, 54, of Cleveland: Billed for up to 100 home-delivered meals per day for four clients, totaling an estimated $1.27 million in fraud.
Shylynn Flint, 24, of Blanchester: Submitted false claims while traveling in Las Vegas and on canceled shift days, leading to $5,217 in losses.
Toya Hale, 52, of Canton: Accused of a kickback scheme with a client, overlapping shifts with another job, and falsifying records, resulting in a $10,204 loss.
Creshawnda Hughes, 33, of Akron: Billed for full 8-hour shifts while only working two hours, defrauding Medicaid of $25,900.
Regina Johnson, 34, of Avon: Billed for services while traveling across Florida, Massachusetts, and Texas. She confessed to the fraud, totaling $20,140.
Yolanda Knox, 50, of Dayton: Submitted claims for non-working holidays and weekends, and used her children as caregivers, causing $56,666 in losses.
Sirina Powell, 50, of Canton: Allegedly used her mother’s credentials to bill Medicaid and impersonated her while providing services. Loss: $5,758.
Juan Watson, 36, of Cleveland: Frequently billed 16-hour shifts while clients reported only a few hours of service. Also billed while traveling out-of-state, causing $431,579 in losses.
Cheyenne Williams, 61, of Cleveland: Reportedly stopped working in March 2024 but kept billing for 10 more months, adding $19,726 in fraudulent claims.
Attorney General Dave Yost stated:
“This is theft — plain and simple. These individuals took advantage of a system meant to care for the most vulnerable.”
Each defendant faces potential felony charges, including theft, Medicaid fraud, and tampering with records. Investigations are ongoing and more charges may be filed.
