CINCINNATI – Sharon Romaine Ward, 52, has pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court to fraudulently billing more than $8.5 million to Medicare, Medicaid, and Veterans Affairs home healthcare programs between 2015 and 2021.
Ward, who concealed her ownership of Halo Home Healthcare due to a prior felony conviction for oxycodone and hydrocodone prescriptions, admitted that the company routinely overbilled federal healthcare programs. One case involved billing Medicaid for services while a patient was hospitalized.
The court documents revealed that Ward submitted at least 92,770 claims to Medicaid, seeking nearly $8.6 million, of which she received approximately $8.4 million. She also failed to provide accurate information on her business tax returns, resulting in false filings.
Ward has been charged with one count of health care fraud and one count of making a false income tax return, with sentences ranging from ten years for the first charge to three years for the second. The U.S. Attorney’s Office recommended a prison term not exceeding five years for the health care fraud.
Under the plea agreement, Ward is required to pay restitution to the Department of Veterans Affairs and the Ohio Department of Medicaid, as well as prepare and file corrected business tax returns with the IRS. The IRS determined a tax loss of $81,617.
This case was investigated by multiple agencies including the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation unit. Assistant United States Attorney Ebunoluwa A. Taiwo is representing the United States in this matter.
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Key Facts
- State: Ohio
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Drug Trafficking|Fraud & Financial Crimes|White Collar Crime|Organized Crime
- Source: Official Source ↗
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