Six Ohio Medicaid providers charged as part of multi-billion-dollar health care fraud takedown

Six more Medicaid providers in Ohio are facing fraud and theft charges for allegedly stealing more than $325,000 from the healthcare program that serves low-income Ohioans.

Ohio Attorney General Andy Wilson filed the charges this month, accusing six healthcare providers of various schemes to defraud the state’s largest health program.

A doctor is accused of billing Medicaid almost $200,000 for fabricated behavioral-health services. Another case involves a provider who allegedly falsified timesheets, and a home-health aide allegedly billed for services while working another job.

The Ohio Attorney General’s office announced the indictments as part of the U.S. Department of Justice’s 2026 National Health Care Fraud Takedown.

Federal officials on Tuesday revealed details of a massive investigation into Medicaid and Medicare fraud across the country totaling more than $6.5 billion. Ohio was one of 45 states and territories involved in the sweep.

The coordinated effort to investigate and prosecute suspected fraudsters led to criminal charges against 455 defendants nationwide for their alleged participation in healthcare fraud and opioid abuse schemes.

The latest indictments also follow federal charges earlier this month against nine defendants for $42 million in Medicaid fraud in Ohio. In addition, the Ohio Department of Medicaid has suspended payments to nearly 60 high‑risk Medicaid home health providers in the state.

“Medicaid fraud steals from taxpayers and vulnerable Ohioans,” Wilson said in a release. “If you try to cheat this program, you will be held accountable.”

The Medicaid Fraud Control Unit, an arm of the Attorney General’s Office, investigated the cases and secured the indictments in Franklin County.

Among those indicted on state charges in Ohio was Dr. Tiffany Bell, 45, of Westerville, who was charged after an MFCU investigation found a $197,981 Medicaid loss due to fraudulent claims for services. Bell became a target of investigators in June 2025, after a referral flagged her for a huge spike in claims with a billing code for therapeutic behavioral services.

Bell was the highest billing provider for that specific code in 2025. Investigators interviewed the families of children who reportedly received the services and determined that they were fraudulent claims. Investigators also discovered that the supporting medical records were fabricated and that Bell allegedly obtained the children’s Medicaid ID numbers unlawfully.

Another defendant, Anita Nixon, 47, of Cincinnati, drew investigators’ attention after billing for 16 hours per day with no days off. State prosecutors have accused her of fraudulently billing for services while working another job.

From November 2023 through February 2026, the loss to Medicaid totaled $110,238.

An investigation determined that Nixon could not have provided all the home health services because she also held a full-time job at a state hospital. Her full-time job hours and her billed in-home services totaled more than 24 hours per day, the indictment alleges.

“When confronted by investigators, Nixon admitted that she provided the in-home services only after her full-time shifts ended until around midnight,” the AG’s office said.

Although the other cases are for smaller amounts related to falsified home-health care claims, prosecutors are still committed to rooting out fraud, Wilson said.

Ashley Fritz, 37, of Cleveland, is accused of billing Medicaid for 30 hours of weekly home health services while working only nine hours per week, resulting in a $1,875 loss to Medicaid.

Alexandra Holford, 38, of Elyria, allegedly inflated the hours she billed for home-health services to a client, resulting in a $1,525 loss to Medicaid.

“When interviewed by investigators, she claimed the fraudulent billing stemmed from personal difficulties and expressed a willingness to repay the money,” Wilson said.

Deborah Nickler, 43, of Tiffin, is accused of billing for transportation and home-health services on dates when no services were provided. The loss to Medicaid between May and October 2025 totaled $1,766.

Jimmie Smith, 44, of Columbus, is accused of falsifying timesheets related to home-health services. Investigators said he made it appear that he had provided services to a client after the services ended in July 2025.

He also allegedly claimed that he provided services while working at JPMorgan Chase. The loss to Medicaid totaled $13,439.

Ohio’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit operates within the Health Care Fraud Section. The FMCU collaborates with federal, state and local partners to “root out Medicaid fraud and protect vulnerable adults from harm,” the AG’s office said.