Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche announced a major, coordinated federal and state crackdown on massive fraud schemes across Ohio. AAG Blanche detailed a 32-count indictment involving state employees, a scheme to defraud Medicare, Medicaid, the COVID-19 relief program PPP, and emphasized the administration’s relentless pursuit of law and order to protect American taxpayers.
Acting AG Blanche outlined a partnership with officials in the state of Ohio that has now identified thousands of individuals and groups that are under investigation and/or facing indictment as a result of the findings so far. [DOJ Press Release Here] Press Conference Below:
.
DOJ – The Justice Department today announced unprecedented federal and state cooperation in Ohio in the fight against fraud, including partnerships and a data sharing agreement to enhance the detection and prosecution of fraud; federal and state charges against 9 defendants for their alleged participation in over $42 million in fraud; orders of detention this week for three defendants, with two additional defendants pending extradition in connection with an additional $15 million in fraud; and the creation of the FBI’s Most Wanted Fraudsters list. The charges announced today involve numerous types of fraud, including health care fraud, government program fraud, and consumer fraud schemes.
“Ohio is leading the charge in the fight against fraud, and some states should take notice,” said Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche. “Working closely with Ohio officials, the Department of Justice dismantled a sophisticated Medicaid fraud scheme that exploited taxpayers to fund exotic cars and lavish lifestyles. By holding these fraudsters accountable and partnering with the FBI on a robust Most Wanted fraudster list, we are pursuing fraud more aggressively than ever. No fraud scheme is beyond our reach.”
“The Fraud Division is building a replicable model to combat the full range of fraudsters that are preying on Americans across the country,” said Assistant Attorney General Colin M. McDonald of the Justice Department’s Fraud Division. “Whether its health care, emergency relief funds, or consumer frauds, fraudsters go where the money flows, and with our enhanced data analytics tools, dedicated prosecutors, and federal and state partners, the days of oversight lagging and accountability lacking are now over.” (read more)
I lived in Ohio for over 40 years. One thing was plainfuly clear. Ohio Republican candidates always ran as conservatives. When elected, always governed as Democrats. Been going on for decades.
Former Governor “Lockdown Larry” Hogan is the shining (stinking?) example of modern day Maryland Republican politicians. My guess is that most blue states as well as many red states suffer from Fake Conservative Republicans (RINOs) in their governments. I’ve concluded that most – a significant majority – politicians and political candidates all share similar character issues: generally weak / vulnerable character that’s easily tempted or coerced, combined with fungible morals and an underlying thirst for personal wealth and gaining access to greater wealth via political power.
We have to vet our candidates differently than we have been doing. Or in many cases, we have to make an effort to vet the candidates instead of waiting until we are looking at the ballot on election day and trying to guess..
Thanks to ALL states RNC it’s that way in every state.
Look to Kentucky as a very good example because it’s planned to be that way because they start out good and turn to complete panty waste milk toast American destroyers and thieves.
Didn’t Ohio send us John Boehner? Way more Democrat than Republican and definitely not conservative by any stretch of the imagination!
A few years ago I read both the Democrat and Republican platforms. The couple page Democrat platform was mostly promoting sexual perversion and other idiocy. The Republican platform of a half dozen or more pages was brilliant. After reading both platforms, my feeling was that the Republican platform was brilliant, but with one problem. Why didn’t the Republicans do what their platform promoted??
Same in idaho. The most republican state legislature in America. But mostly not conservative. Sad.
What this means to me; the Ohio state Treasurer and Auditor were both derelict in the duties of their offices.
Derelict or complicit?
Exactly!
I would love to see actual politicians-from both parties-go to prison for being complicit.
You can add the Ohio Attorney General and State Police Commander!
Former Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost should be charged for NOT doing his job.
Strip his retirement pay from him!
That would be a nice start, but how would that actually happen? Who has the authority to strip him of his retirement pay, especially without a conviction to point at? Could a private citizen file a lawsuit against the perpetuator claiming that his failure to do his job damaged both the individual plaintiff as well as the state as a whole? Yes. But would it get tossed out of court? Most likely, for one “legal” reason or another.
Frustrating, to say the least. Complicated? Even more so. Expensive? Over the moon. Yet something has to change. Perhaps these latest indictments actually are the first steps in a thousand mile journey – with “change” looming on the horizon.
We somehow elected vivek. There will be no accountability at the state level. There will however, be fraud ramping up in the visa programs.
Glad to see this happen in my state. Would love to see some politicians go down for allowing this to happen including our weasel governor.
Gov, Mike DeWine counts Minnesota Governor as one of his good buddies.
One fraudster told another fraudster how its done.
Birds of a feather…
Used to live in OH in the 90s, Cleveland area then just north of C’bus. I was active in OH Repub Party activity but have never trusted that little squirt, now-Governor DeWine. As Lt Gov he shafted then-Gov/former CLE Mayor George Voinovich, who had elevated him, by running for US Senator when an opening came around; NE OH Republicans are not in the Republican “club,” which is why Democrat cruds like Sherrod Brown and Dennis Kucinich get to hold office for decades without any positive accomplishments. DeWine is from the Xenia area. Remember the tornado there about 30 yrs ago? Anyway, small-town guys like him get themselves to Columbus and then cover themselves with glory and $$$ while ripping off the rest of the state. That’s how Leslie Wexner became the richest man in Ohio. He was a Republican until Donald Trump stole the show in 2016! That’s why you see such lukewarm praise for President Trump from the OH Repubs. in power. VP J.D. Vance got his money to run for US Senate back in 2022 from hedge funds outside the state, so he’s not quite trusted by club members. Don’t know for sure, but it looks like Vance as Fraud Czar may have unleashed this Taskforce into the rotten guts of the state!
If politicians didn’t benefit from fraud, waste and abuse, the government could reduce taxes and still have a surplus.
We The Taxpayers should demand to defend the fraud! Let the States tax income and run their own programs, with appropriate oversight. Repeal the Federal Income tax, stop redistributing our coerced tax payments to the States. Stop the Feds from skimming off 25%, return the Federal government to its Constitutionally-mandated size, scope and cost.
That can never happen without election integrity. And I’m not talking about their so-called “Save America” Act. We need same day, in-person, paper ballots with no internet connection.
And, oh yes, it would help if the poll workers logged IDs to verify voter registrations too.
Election integrity. A beautiful concept. It will never happen. Well, on second thought I suppose it could; with about he same odds as a baby doe surviving 15 minutes with a wild pack of starving wolves. Yeah, it “could” happen, but… wouldn’t bet on it.
Currently, the system is very broke and controlled by Marxist/Communist sympathizers.
Ohio needs to abolish property taxes but it ain’t gonna happen. Eventually you won’t be able to pay ’em unless you are rich.
They should also arrest the public servants allowing this fraud.
This includes the non elected entities.
Glad to hear this long overdue event is happening.
While I am hopeful the trend will continue, it has to be pointed out that the only way this stuff stops is to end the Fed and a central bank where “money” can be “printed” out of thin air. It is the cause of $40T of “national” debt (that we know of). Everything we are seeing and hearing about are the effects of easy money. The easy money is the cause. We must return to sound, honest money.
No correct ratio of the “right” politicians or “leaders” is possible to solve it (logically impossible). Appointing Warsh (or anyone else) to head the central bank will not solve it (nibbling around the edges). Nothing. So long as Congress has the power of the purse and a central bank exists we can only expect more of the same, or worse.
We have to stop settling for dealing with the effects of things and go to the root cause.
TY!
How about an audit of our gold? And precious metals.
Pikers compared to one CIA turd pinching $40 million. But hey, ya gotta nip it in the bud where you can. Let’s see some more.
dewhine never saw a camera he didn’t like.
Why isn’t he there?
I know what I think having lived in Ohio 70 of my 74 years.
I’ll give you three guesses 😉
You’ll be happy to know that the US Attorney’s Offices in San Diego and Santa Anna are SLOW WALKING prosecutions on illegal immigrant truck drivers, H1B Visa Fraud and anything else involving Hispanics involved in White Collar fraud like embezzlement! We’re talking slow walking on silver platter cases because the AUSAs are Democrats. No matter what you give them they want something else and then something else….😎
Perhaps the recently-named head of our government’s anti-fraud efforts could look into this specific situation.
Would you be willing to send him a letter?
I’d do it, but you are the one with the facts of the situation.
At least they are pretending to take the cases, 40 years ago it was “declined per AUSA guidelines”.
You got the “pretending” part right.
Excellent! Lock all of the Fraudsters up, especially the Somalis.
Who are they we want to see names, companies, think most were in Ohio…. who? are they? names
Maybe by chance we can see news that they’re going after Ilhan Omar. Indicted or maybe arrested her.
Haven’t heard a word yet from Cry’in Mike DeWine I want to see him blubber like a baby!
Those in upper levels of Ohio gov’t should be prosecuted, too. When there’s a rather involved process to get a driver’s license, then there should have been a rather involved oversight of all aspects of gov’t giving money out. They are either corrupt or inept in their duties to the State of Ohio. Either way, they shouldn’t be in office. Hundreds of millions of dollars in fraud and the state says they can’t get rid of property tax.
State governments are all alike. Repub or Dem. They only know how to increase taxes and fees and never look at running the gov’t efficiently while removing all fraud.
Pennsylvania next please!
Wonder how all these fraud indictments are coming so quickly but it is taking so long to indict the Deep Staters….
I suspect that those who are entrusted with the power and authority to indict the major players want to live another day.
Ohio senator Bernie Moreno worked with Thune to stop the SAVE AMERICA ACT at 3 am. and gaveled in sessions to block Trump recess appointments.
Ohio congressman Warren Davidson just voted with Democrats against Pres Trump’s authority to use our military.
They BOTH must go.
That said the Ohio State house refused to pass Medical Freedom legislation to protect us from their donors, Big Pharma.
The GOP hates us nearly as much as the Dems.
Uniparty. DNC = GOP
The grifting RINOs hate us even more, because they know that we know better. They know we MAGA are finally onto them, so they lash out on every front with defiant condescension.
The democrats may be crazy ideologues but most of them are lightweights compared to these crafty Republicans, who would sell their very souls to keep their seat at the table.
How many indictments have been delivered in Minniesota??
A.G. Todd Blanche, from one Ohio citizen:
Bury the mothers.
Plow them under the earth.
Totally Ruin them.
All of them!
Special emphasis on prison terms for involved state employees and politicians.
Do it.
Heads on pikes, Mr. Blanche.
Did I make myself clear?
The Fraud should have been caught or detected on the Front End. The people responsible for approving the fraudulent programs and/or dispersal of funds are either incompetent or complicit. Start there with prosecutions.