Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost announced this week that seven individuals and one organization have been indicted on accusations of cheating the state’s Medicaid program by billing for services that were not provided.
The charges arise from separate investigations by Yost’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit and were filed in Franklin County Common Pleas Court, according to an announcement from the Ohio Attorney General’s Office.
“If you sneak extra Medicaid dollars like Halloween candy, don’t be surprised when the consequences leave a bitter taste,” says Yost. “Save your tricks for trick-or-treat night.”
Investigators claim that providers billed for treatments when clients were detained, traveling, or otherwise unavailable. In one instance, a provider confessed to filing fraudulent claims using her husband’s identity.
Among those indicted:
- Daylene Curtis, 41, of Zanesville, is accused of billing Medicaid for services while working another job or traveling, and for a recipient who did not live at the address listed on claims. Investigators said she also used her husband’s name to submit fraudulent timesheets, resulting in a $27,465 loss to Medicaid.
- Asia Drakeford, 30, of Columbus, allegedly submitted timesheets for in-home care while a client was on vacation. Investigators said the client later told them Drakeford pressured her to sign the falsified forms. The loss to Medicaid was estimated at $1,593.
- Carrie Francis, 46, of Dayton, was charged after investigators said she took part in a kickback scheme, collecting $2,613 in improper payments.
- Cynthia Lange, 55, of Middletown, is accused of billing for in-home services between May 2024 and April 2025 while recipients were receiving care from family or attending programs outside their homes. Investigators said the loss was $34,028.
- Michael Makeba, 53, of Westerville, and his defunct business, Healthy Connections, were each indicted after allegedly billing Medicaid for $17,727 in services that were never provided. Investigators said the company paused operations in 2022 but continued billing afterward.
- Andrea Turpin, 43, of Blacklick, allegedly billed for home-health services while a client was in jail, causing an estimated $2,403 loss to Medicaid.
- Laquandra Williams, 37, of Cleveland, allegedly billed Medicaid for $14,580 in services after discontinuing care for a client. She also reportedly billed while traveling in Florida, working another job and when a client was incarcerated.
The Ohio Medicaid Fraud Control Unit investigates and prosecutes health care professionals who are accused of scamming the Medicaid program, as well as enforcing Ohio’s Patient Abuse and Neglect Law. The unit collaborates with local, state, and federal partners to detect and prosecute fraud and to protect vulnerable adults from abuse.
Indictments are criminal claims. Defendants are deemed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
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