HARRISBURG — An Ohio couple is facing felony charges after allegedly participating in a scheme to defraud Pennsylvania’s Medical Assistance program out of nearly $50,000, according to the office of Attorney General Josh Shapiro.

John Miller, 57, of Canton, and Jeanette Turner, 36, of Malvern, are charged with theft by deception and provider prohibited acts, Shapiro said. They allegedly submitted timesheets for Medicaid services that were never performed, then split the money.

According to Shapiro, investigators received a tip from the owner of Senior Helpers that Miller was living in Ohio and using his stepfather and mother’s Pennsylvania mailing address to take advantage of the state’s Medicaid program. He allegedly enlisted Miller as his caregiver, but she only helped him occasionally, Shapiro says.

The two then split the hourly wage Miller received.

Investigators found that Miller moved to Ohio in May of 2015. Turner billed Medicaid for 4,214.5 hours of personal care services for Miller between May of 2015 and November of 2017 — for a total of $46,983.36 in fraudulent claims.

Miller said when he needed services, he’d visit Pennsylvania, book a hotel, and call temporary services like Senior Helpers to provide care.

He and Turner shared a bank account, investigators say.

“This is a case of a Medicaid recipient moving out of state and fraudulently stealing Pennsylvania tax dollars, falsifying records for the care he was supposed to receive, and splitting the money with his co-conspirator for their own gain,” Shapiro said in a release announcing the charges. “Medicaid provides essential medical care to Pennsylvanians who require assistance with daily living. Criminals like these who defraud our Medicaid program will be held accountable.”

Bail for Miller and Turner was set at $25,000 unsecured each. The preliminary hearing will be Thursday, April 26. The case will be prosecuted by Deputy Attorney General Summer Carroll of the Office of Attorney General’s Medicaid Fraud Control Section.

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Ohio couple charged with defrauding Pennsylvania out of nearly $50,000 in Medicaid funds