(COLUMBUS, Ohio) — A former central Ohio couple faces 12 felony charges for allegedly defrauding Ohio’s Medicaid program of $9.3 million by billing for services that were never provided, Attorney General Andy Wilson announced today.
“It’s important to remember that these are your tax dollars being stolen,” Wilson said. “We are committed to rooting out Medicaid fraud and holding offenders accountable.”
A Franklin County grand jury this week indicted Roberta Acheampong, 39, and her husband, Godfred Owusu-Sekyere, 46, formerly of Powell, on charges of engaging in a pattern of corrupt activity, telecommunications fraud, theft, forgery, Medicaid fraud, money laundering and identity fraud.
The couple is believed to now be living in Kenya or Ghana.
A complex, years-long investigation by the attorney general’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit revealed widespread fraudulent billing tied to One Community Mental Health, a “behavioral-health clinic” that the couple owned and operated in Franklin County.
The two allegedly exploited refugees seeking resettlement services, billing Medicaid multiple times a week for entire households, without their knowledge, for unnecessary mental health and therapeutic behavioral services that were never provided.
They are also accused of forging documents and stealing the identities of translation and transportation staff members to submit fraudulent Medicaid claims under their names.
Banking records show the stolen Medicaid funds were funneled through multiple accounts to finance a lavish lifestyle, including purchases of real estate and a Porsche.
Separately, 10 other Medicaid providers were indicted this week in Franklin County, accused of stealing a combined $563,860 from the government health-care program.
Among those indicted:
- Angel Barker, 48, of Cleveland, allegedly billed for home-health services on dates she was traveling, when she failed to show up, and/or while her clients were hospitalized. Clients reported that Barker worked fewer days than scheduled, refused required tasks, and asked them to sign blank timesheets, with some signatures later found to be forged. The loss to Medicaid totaled $4,284.
- Natoshia Branscome, 36, of Columbus, allegedly billed for 30 hours of weekly services while working only 10 hours per week, resulting in a loss of $5,893 for Medicaid. Video evidence showed Branscome visiting her client briefly on just two occasions over a nine-day period. When interviewed by investigators, she acknowledged her wrongdoing and attributed her actions to personal stress.
- Toni Heldman, 68, of Mason, is accused of defrauding Medicaid by falsely claiming that she lived separately from her client, a relative, to bill at a higher reimbursement rate. As a home-health aide, Heldman billed for Homemaker Personal Care rather than the lower-paying Shared Living rate. Investigators discovered that Heldman even leased an Airbnb for a few days to trick a county caseworker during a routine monitoring visit. Another aide confirmed that Heldman asked her to lie to investigators about the living arrangement. The loss to Medicaid totaled $7,149.
- Josh Jackson, 29, of Cincinnati, was charged after investigators identified a $20,131 loss to Medicaid. The home-health aide allegedly continued submitting timesheets and clocking into his employer’s electronic visit-verification system for a year after he stopped providing services to a client. A witness reported that Jackson often worked fewer hours than scheduled before he stopped showing up altogether. Employment records from Cincinnati Public Schools and a sporting-goods store showed that he was working other jobs while billing Medicaid for services.
- Dez’Aray Keith, 45, of Eastlake, allegedly billed for home-health services while working another job, while attending personal appointments and while a client was participating in an adult daycare program. The loss to Medicaid totaled $2,016.
- Ashley Lawton, 40, of Fairfield, allegedly defrauded Medicaid of $91,969 by billing for home-health and transportation services that she did not provide between 2021 and 2026. Investigators identified extensive billing during periods when Lawton was traveling in Denver; Cancun, Mexico; Destin, Florida; Las Vegas; Orlando, Florida; and New York City. Records also show that she consistently billed beyond her authorized service and mileage limits. Clients reported that Lawton routinely billed for far more hours than she worked.
- Karen Saunders, 63, of Westerville, was charged with telecommunications fraud, Medicaid fraud and theft for allegedly stealing $361,053 from the program. While employed by New Albany Home Health Solutions, Saunders allegedly billed Medicaid for therapeutic behavioral-health services that she did not provide between 2020 and 2025. Investigators discovered that she repeatedly billed for services on dates that she was traveling or working a separate job, or when clients were elsewhere. Some clients denied receiving any services at all. When confronted, Saunders admitted that her actions were intentional and financially motivated.
- Summer Sheridan, 39, of Columbus, is accused of double-billing for home-health services, resulting in a $62,806 loss to Medicaid. Investigators discovered that Sheridan submitted overlapping timesheets to two home-health agencies for the same client for roughly a year.
- Kandis Smith, 32, of Cincinnati, is accused of submitting fraudulent timesheets for 35 days of in-home services while her client was hospitalized or in a nursing home. The loss to Medicaid totaled $4,246.
- Leo Ulery, 32, of South Point, is accused of submitting fraudulent documentation to bill Medicaid for services that were never provided. Working as a counselor at New Life Recovery, Ulery allegedly cloned treatment notes to bill for counseling sessions when clients were not present. The loss to Medicaid totaled $4,313.
Ohio’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit, which operates within the Health Care Fraud Section, collaborates with federal, state and local partners to root out Medicaid fraud and protect vulnerable adults from harm. The unit investigates and prosecutes health-care providers who defraud the state Medicaid program and enforces the state’s Patient Abuse and Neglect Law.
Indictments are criminal allegations. Defendants are presumed innocent unless proved guilty in a court of law.
The Ohio Medicaid Fraud Control Unit receives 75% of its funding from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services under a grant award totaling $16,553,872 for federal fiscal year 2026. The remaining 25% – totaling $5,517,956 for FY 2026 – is funded by the Ohio Attorney General’s Office.
MEDIA CONTACT:
Hannah Hundley: 614-906-9113
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