(COLUMBUS, Ohio) – Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine, along with Carter M. Stewart, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio, and Edward J. Hanko, Special Agent in Charge for the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), announced today that Lady M. Whitney, 44, of Canal Winchester, Ohio, was sentenced to 48 months in prison and ordered to pay more than $235,000 in restitution for submitting fraudulent bills to the Ohio Medicaid Program for medical services that were not provided.
The sentence was handed down today by U.S. District Judge Gregory L. Frost. Whitney pleaded guilty on November 29, 2012, to one count of health care false statements and one count of aggravated identity theft.
According to testimony at the plea hearing, Whitney, while assuming the identity of Complete Home Health Care and Raamis Home Healthcare employees, fabricated home health care aide time sheets for at least five patients indicating that home health care company employees had provided services to individuals in their homes.
Whitney turned in approximately 423 fabricated time sheets to the two companies, who, based upon the false information indicated on the forms, submitted claims to the Ohio Medicaid Program, and were paid $219,517.63. In addition, Whitney submitted false claims directly to the State of Ohio Medicaid Program for home health care services to patients that were not rendered which resulted in a payment of $15,517.68. Whitney's actions resulted in a total loss to the Ohio Medicaid Program of $235,035.31.
Whitney also took possession of 81 checks totaling $92,345.68 issued to company employees and cashed or deposited the checks into her own bank account.
Ohioans can report suspected Medicaid fraud to Attorney General DeWine's office by calling 800-282-0515 or visiting www.OhioAttorneyGeneral.gov.
Individuals or health care company employees who suspect fraud against government health insurance programs can also report them anonymously online at www.stopmedicarefraud.gov, or by calling 1-800-HHS-TIPS (800-447-8477).
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Media Contacts:
Dan Tierney: 614-466-3840
Jill Del Greco: 614-466-3840