Former Franklin County Employee Ordered to Pay Restitution of $257,036 Following Theft Conviction

Press Release • Ohio Auditor of State

COLUMBUS - A former Franklin County employee was sentenced to 60 months of community control and ordered to pay restitution of $257,036 to the Ohio Public Employees Retirement System (OPERS) after he was convicted of falsifying documents to continue receiving public disability payments.

Jonathan McPheters could face 36 months in prison on two felony counts if he violates the terms of his community control after he pleaded guilty to theft and tampering with records.

The Auditor of State's Special Investigations Unit (SIU) launched an investigation into McPheters after receiving a complaint from the Ohio Attorney General's Office. Investigators determined that McPheters, a former bus driver, submitted falsified medical documents to OPERS as part of an ongoing disability claim.

McPheters pleaded guilty in February to the two criminal counts in Franklin County Common Pleas Court and was sentenced on April 23.

Since 2019, the Special Investigations Unit has assisted in 160 convictions resulting in more than $17 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 States 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.