A Dayton woman who had previously been excluded from Medicaid work due to a prior conviction has admitted to stealing a hefty $1.5 million from the Medicaid program, according to a statement from Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost. Janay Corbitt, 36, entered guilty pleas to second-degree felony theft and three counts of third-degree felony identity fraud.
Despite being barred after a 2019 theft conviction, Corbitt circumvented restrictions, orchestrating a scheme involving multiple stolen identities to create and run two bogus behavioral health counseling agencies in the Dayton region. In her ploy, she didn't just stop at fictional businesses. She also appropriated the identities of legitimate counselors billing Medicaid for services that were never rendered, as per Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost's release.
Corbitt's actions caught up with her when authorities nabbed her in August 2024 at a Dallas, Texas, bus stop after she had fled Ohio, dodging the consequences of her fraudulent activities for months. "Her luck has run out – kudos to our Medicaid Fraud Control Unit for bringing this scheme to light," Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost was quoted in the announcement.
The case, which broke open following an indictment in May 2024 after an intensive investigation led by Yost’s office, is being prosecuted by attorneys with the AG’s Health Care Fraud Section. Corbitt is scheduled for sentencing on April 17 in Franklin County Common Pleas Court in a legal proceeding that will likely mark the culmination of a saga of deception and theft amounting to staggering sums pilfered from taxpayer funds. This drama unfolded over multiple years, as outlined in the Ohio Attorney General's office's news release.
The Ohio Medicaid Fraud Control Unit, responsible for uncovering Corbitt's fraud, is heavily funded by federal funds. A 75% contribution from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services under a grant totaled over $15 million for the 2025 fiscal year, while the remaining quarter of the cost, just over $5 million, is covered by the state's Attorney General's Office.
