News Releases

Attorney General Mike DeWine said Christopher Gibbs, the second of three individuals charged in a tree-trimming scam that targeted the elderly in Greene, Franklin, Butler, and Montgomery counties, was sentenced Tuesday to three years in prison and ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $32,940. The case represents a collaboration among the Attorney General's Office, the Greene County Prosecuting Attorney, and other law enforcement agencies.

(ATHENS, Ohio) – Attorney General Mike DeWine announced that Janet Root, 35, was sentenced this week in connection with her theft of patient funds at the Arcadia Nursing Center in Coolville, Ohio. Root was sentenced in Athens County Common Pleas Court to five years of community control and ordered to pay $31,471 in restitution. She also received a nine-year suspended sentence. Root, a business manager at Arcadia Nursing Center, pled guilty last November to four counts of Theft from the Elderly, fourth-degree felonies, and two counts of Forgery, fourth-degree felonies.

Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine announced today that Ayana Parks, of Columbus, was sentenced on Dec. 16 to five years of community control and ordered to repay $7,500 in restitution to the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services in a fraud case that involved kickbacks from her to a Medicaid recipient. She would bill for services never performed, then kick back to the Medicaid recipient some of the money received to pay for the phantom services.

Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine announced today that Yvonne Alexander was sentenced to 18 months in prison for Medicaid fraud in the theft of $53,000 in benefit income from a resident of Graceworks Lutheran Services group home, which serves developmentally disabled individuals.

(Columbus, Ohio) – Attorney General Mike DeWine announced today that a Cleveland woman must pay more than $20,000 in restitution to the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services (ODJFS) for her role in a fraudulent home health care billing case.

(TOLEDO, Ohio) – Attorney General Mike DeWine announced that Jeremy Goldthwaite, 31, of Toledo, in Lucas County Court of Common Pleas pleaded guilty Monday to one felony count of Illegal Storage of Scrap Tires. Lucas County Common Pleas Judge James D. Jensen sentenced him to pay a $10,000 fine and to serve five years of community control. Goldthwaite is also required to complete 150 hours of community service and pay $2,500 to the Ohio Scrap Tire Management Fund within two years.

Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine praised his office's Health Care Fraud Section for a record-setting recovery of $103,768,000 for the state fiscal year that ended in June.

Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine has announced the start of a mediation program to resolve disputes between local governments and persons requesting public records. The Ohio Attorney General’s Public Records Mediation Program will be available to governments and requestors staring today.

Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine today announced 132 cold case crimes now have a prime suspect through a DNA match made possible only because of Senate Bill 77. SB 77, which took effect July 1, 2011, requires DNA collection on all felony arrestees. All DNA profiles in Ohio are housed within the Ohio Attorney General’s Bureau of Criminal Investigation (BCI).

Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine announced that he has filed a motion for Ohio state pension funds to join certain other funds in leading a class of investors in a lawsuit against JPMorgan Chase & Co. The news comes as the bank announced that losses related to its “London Whale” trading scandal have already totaled at least $5.8 billion.