A former Franklin County employee is now facing criminal charges for what investigators describe as a disability payment fraud scheme that swindled more than $250,000 from the public coffers. Jonathan McPheters, who worked as a bus driver, was indicted on charges including theft, tampering with records, and forgery.
During his arraignment in Franklin County Common Pleas Court on Friday, McPheters pleaded not guilty to the charges. Alarm was raised about his activities after a tip-off to the Ohio Attorney General’s Office was investigated by the Auditor of State’s Special Investigations Unit (SIU), according to a release from the auditor’s office. The probe revealed that the former employee allegedly submitted fake medical documents to keep the disability payments flowing.
The indictment follows what the SIU describes as a determined effort to safeguard public funds. Since 2019, they have reportedly assisted in 147 convictions that resulted in restitution totaling more than $16 million. The SIU, equipped to handle the surge of tips regarding suspect fraud, allows the public to submit tips anonymously through their online system or via a dedicated fraud hotline…