COLUMBUS, Ohio — Nine Medicaid providers and one Medicaid recipient have been indicted on charges alleging they stole a combined $478,000 from Ohio’s Medicaid program, Attorney General Dave Yost announced.
The indictments were filed in Franklin County Common Pleas Court following investigations by the Medicaid Fraud Control Unit, a division of Yost’s office.
“This February, remember: Love may be blind, but our investigators see just fine,” Yost said in a statement. “If you flirt with fraud, your next date will be with a judge.”
Authorities allege the defendants submitted false claims for services not provided, billed while traveling or working other jobs, and in one case, engaged in a kickback scheme.
Among those charged:
- Destiny Allen, 26, of Cleveland, is accused of improperly receiving $108,983 by inflating billed hours for services investigators say she did not provide between 2023 and 2025. Authorities said she admitted to overbilling.
- Cheryl Austin, 53, of East Cleveland, allegedly billed Medicaid on dates she called off work, resulting in an $11,025 loss. Investigators cited video evidence showing she did not visit a client during a 20-day period for which she billed.
- Jennifer Cavinee, 45, of Kenton, is accused of billing for services not rendered between September 2023 and February 2025, causing a $6,660 loss.
- Jai Dhungel, 40, of Hamilton, allegedly billed $120,268 for services not provided, including a 20-day period in which investigators said he visited a client only once. The case began with an anonymous tip.
- Shelmeta Drewery, 38, of Cleveland, allegedly billed for services on weekends, holidays and while traveling out of state and to Puerto Rico, resulting in a $4,390 loss between January 2023 and July 2025.
- Jessica Fitzpatrick, 46, of South Point, is accused of continuing to bill Medicaid after she stopped providing services to a client, leading to a $3,891 loss.
- Dejoire McAlpine, 35, of Strongsville, allegedly billed for more hours than worked, resulting in a $6,587 loss. Investigators said she admitted submitting claims for time not worked.
- Chrishawn McClendon, 38, of Streetsboro, and William Jackson, 40, of Cleveland, are accused of participating in a kickback scheme that resulted in a $212,339 loss. Authorities allege McClendon billed for more than 1,000 hours while employed elsewhere and paid Jackson more than $45,000 during the same period.
- Tonya Ware, 60, of Warren, allegedly billed for services while traveling in Arizona, Florida, Texas and the Bahamas between May 2024 and June 2025, causing a $4,072 loss.
Ohio’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit operates within the attorney general’s Health Care Fraud Section and works with federal, state and local agencies to investigate fraud and protect vulnerable adults. The unit prosecutes providers accused of defrauding the Medicaid program and enforces Ohio’s Patient Abuse and Neglect Law.
Indictments are allegations, and all defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law.