ASHVILLE, Ohio — A Pickaway County woman is facing Medicaid fraud charges after investigators say she billed the state health care program for services she never provided — one of nine providers indicted this week by the Ohio Attorney General’s office in a statewide crackdown that uncovered a combined $181,512 in stolen Medicaid funds.
Hannah Browning, 23, of Ashville, came to investigators’ attention after a client’s relative reported discrepancies in her timesheets. A closer look revealed billing for services she allegedly did not provide, as well as overlapping service claims for multiple clients at the same time. The loss to Medicaid between August 2023 and January 2025 totaled $10,086.
Browning is among eight providers accused of stealing directly from the program. A ninth faces separate charges for allegedly stealing a client’s debit card.
“Whether fraud is a trickle or a flood, our mission remains the same: Protect Medicaid dollars and hold thieves accountable,” Attorney General Dave Yost said in announcing the indictments.
The cases were investigated by the Medicaid Fraud Control Unit, an arm of Yost’s office, and indictments were secured in Franklin County. The full scope of the statewide sweep reveals a pattern of brazen billing abuse targeting some of Ohio’s most vulnerable residents.
Among the other defendants, Antonia Geiter, 32, of Mentor, faces the largest individual loss — $63,941 — after video evidence showed she rarely visited her client while continuing to bill for services, including periods when she was traveling or the client was hospitalized. Records show she billed 16-hour workdays despite being approved for a maximum of 10 hours per day.
Khalilah Larue, 42, formerly of Columbus, allegedly continued billing Medicaid for nearly five years after she stopped providing services, racking up $59,747 in improper payments. Interviews with multiple clients revealed that many of her treatment notes were allegedly falsified.
Alice Toole, 60, of Reynoldsburg, faces theft and Medicaid fraud charges after investigators uncovered $28,818 in overbilling — and her case carries the most disturbing detail of the group. Much of the billing in question involves a 15-year-old client who died in August 2025 after Toole allegedly left the child unattended for several hours. A Franklin County grand jury indicted Toole in March on charges of involuntary manslaughter, patient endangerment, and endangering children.
Aletta Cephus, 48, of Akron, admitted to investigators that she billed for services while sleeping during shifts for a relative, telling investigators she was exhausted from working late elsewhere. She also admitted to leaving shifts early to make it to her next job on time. The loss to Medicaid totaled $6,530.
Kisha Luke, 36, of Cleveland, allegedly billed for in-home services while her client was hospitalized and later admitted to submitting timesheets up to two weeks in advance. The loss totaled $2,143.
Jazzmyne Battles, 29, of Cleveland, allegedly sent unauthorized individuals to care for clients in her place and in some cases sent no caregiver at all, leaving clients to rely on family and friends. The loss totaled $2,411.
Molham Abdulhadi, 39, of West Chester, allegedly submitted falsified timesheets claiming he provided services while a client was traveling abroad. The loss totaled $7,836.
Karen Hampston-McCants, 61, of Columbus, faces theft and falsification charges after allegedly giving a disabled resident’s debit card to an acquaintance who made $400 in unauthorized purchases — then lied on an incident report claiming she had misplaced the card while shopping at Walmart.
All defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law.