Former Franklin County Employee Indicted on Theft, Other Felony Counts over Alleged Disability Payment Fraud

COLUMBUS – A former Franklin County employee has been indicted after he allegedly falsified documents to continue receiving public disability payments.

Jonathan McPheters faces single counts of theft and tampering with records and five counts of forgery, all felonies. He submitted not guilty pleas in Franklin County Common Pleas Court during an arraignment hearing on Friday.

The Auditor of State’s Special Investigations Unit (SIU) launched an investigation after receiving a complaint from the Ohio Attorney General’s Office.

Investigators determined that McPheters, a former bus driver, submitted falsified medical documents to the Ohio Public Employees Retirement System as part of an ongoing disability claim.

McPheters allegedly received more than $250,000 in gross disability payments after knowingly submitting the forged medical documents.

Since 2019, the Special Investigations Unit has assisted in 147 convictions resulting in more than $16 million in restitution (see Map of SIU Convictions since January 2019). The team receives hundreds of tips of suspected fraud annually. Tips can be submitted anonymously online or via SIU’s fraud hotline at 866-FRAUD-OH (866-372-8364).

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The Auditor of State’s Office, one of five independently elected statewide offices in Ohio, is responsible for auditing more than 5,900 state and local government agencies. Under the direction of Auditor Keith Faber, the office also provides financial services to local governments, investigates and prevents fraud in public agencies, and promotes transparency in government.

Public Affairs
Contact: Marc Kovac
press@ohioauditor.gov