Fourteen people are accused of defrauding Ohio government programs in charges announced June 4 by the Trump administration.
Acting U.S. Attorney General Todd Blanche, FBI Director Kash Patel and other federal officials revealed the indictments during a Columbus-area news conference with state leaders.
The cases include people accused of defrauding:
- $30 million from Medicaid.
- $1.4 million from the Paycheck Protection Program, which assisted businesses during the COVID-19 pandemic.
- $15 million from elderly Americans through an alleged romance scheme.
The event served as a show of force for Republicans who contend fraudsters are stealing billions in taxpayer dollars. Blanche touted Ohio as a model for how states can work with the federal government to crack down on claims of fraud.
“Americans deserve to know if someone lies or cheats or steals to get ahead, they will be punished,” Blanche said. “They deserve a government that will never be taken advantage of by fraudsters.”
Outgoing Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost, Auditor Keith Faber and other statewide officials attended the news conference – but not Gov. Mike DeWine.
Ohio in throes of fight over Medicaid fraud
The announcement underscored Ohio’s unusual political position: a GOP-led state in the crosshairs of Republicans who want to crack down on fraud.
A report from the conservative Daily Wire alleged widespread misconduct in the home health care system, which allows people to receive care and other non-medical services in their homes instead of a nursing facility. In some cases, the caregivers are also relatives.
The claims ignited a firestorm at the Ohio Statehouse. GOP lawmakers are fast-tracking legislation that would tighten oversight of home health care and increase penalties for Medicaid fraud. They contend DeWine allowed the issue to fester, an assertion the governor rejects.
The Trump administration recently granted DeWine’s request for a six-month moratorium on new businesses becoming Medicaid providers. DeWine also announced plans to halt payments to providers with suspicious billing practices and require electronic verification for family and live-in caregivers.
The June 4 news conference came one day after a federal task force scrutinized Ohio’s Medicaid program and heard testimony from Faber and state lawmakers.
Congressional Republicans pinned the purported fraud on Somali and Bhutanese immigrants. Ohio is home to the second-largest Somali population behind Minnesota, which has also been under fire from the Trump administration.
Democrats have accused GOP leaders of playing politics and contend they’re responsible for any problems with fraud. Republicans control Ohio’s executive branch, Legislature and Supreme Court.
“This hearing isn’t really about fraud; it’s about politics,” U.S. Rep. Shontel Brown, D-Cleveland, posted on X. “This is a political hearing built on allegations that remain unproven, amplified by partisan actors, and aimed at justifying a broader political goal: cutting Medicaid and shifting blame away from those who have actually been in charge.”
This story will be updated.
State government reporter Haley BeMiller can be reached at [email protected] or @haleybemiller on X.
