Former Powell couple indicted in alleged $9.3 million Ohio Medicaid fraud scheme

A former central Ohio couple believed to be living overseas has been indicted on 12 felony charges for allegedly stealing $9.3 million from Ohio’s Medicaid program by billing for mental health services that investigators say were never provided.

A Franklin County grand jury indicted Roberta Acheampong, 39, and her husband, Godfred Owusu-Sekyere, 46, formerly of Powell, on charges including engaging in a pattern of corrupt activity, telecommunications fraud, theft, forgery, Medicaid fraud, money laundering and identity fraud.

Ohio Attorney General Andy Wilson said a years-long investigation by his office’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit uncovered widespread fraudulent billing connected to One Community Mental Health, a Franklin County behavioral health clinic owned and operated by the couple.

Investigators allege Acheampong and Owusu-Sekyere exploited refugees seeking resettlement services by billing Medicaid multiple times a week for unnecessary mental health and therapeutic behavioral services for entire households without their knowledge.

The couple is also accused of forging documents and using the identities of translation and transportation workers to submit fraudulent Medicaid claims under their names. Authorities said that banking records allegedly show the Medicaid money was funneled through multiple accounts to finance real estate purchases and a Porsche.

Authorities believe Acheampong and Owusu-Sekyere are now living in Kenya or Ghana.

“It’s important to remember that these are your tax dollars being stolen,” Wilson said in a release. “We are committed to rooting out Medicaid fraud and holding offenders accountable.”

The indictment was one of several announced this week as 10 other Medicaid providers were separately charged in Franklin County with allegedly stealing a combined $563,860 from the government health care program.

The largest of those cases involves Karen Saunders, 63, of Westerville, who is accused of stealing $361,053 by billing Medicaid for therapeutic behavioral health services she allegedly did not provide between 2020 and 2025. Investigators allege Saunders billed for services while traveling, working another job or while clients were elsewhere. Some clients denied receiving services at all, according to the attorney general’s office.

Ashley Lawton, 40, of Fairfield, is accused of fraudulently billing Medicaid for $91,969 in home health and transportation services between 2021 and 2026. Investigators allege she submitted bills during trips to Denver, Cancun, Destin, Las Vegas, Orlando and New York City and routinely billed for more hours than she worked.

In another case, Toni Heldman, 68, of Mason, allegedly rented an Airbnb for several days to convince a county caseworker that she lived separately from a relative receiving Medicaid services, thereby allowing her to bill the program at a higher reimbursement rate. Prosecutors allege the scheme cost Medicaid $7,149.

The remaining providers face allegations including billing Medicaid while clients were hospitalized, submitting overlapping timesheets, billing while working other jobs and using duplicated treatment notes for counseling sessions that prosecutors say never occurred.

Medicaid fraud is a hot-button issue in the state amid allegations of widespread fraud that could surpass $1 billion. Ohio’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit investigates and prosecutes health care providers accused of defrauding the state program and works with federal, state and local agencies.