Days after Daily Wire, a conservative media outlet, published a story alleging significant fraud involving Roshan Adhikari, chief operating officer of Centerlight Home Care, a Cleveland-based company that bills Medicaid, Adhikari has categorically denied any fraudulent or unlawful activity.

In an official statement posted on Facebook, he described the allegations as “false, misleading, and harmful” to the reputation of both himself and the organisation.

“I want to make it absolutely clear that neither I, my family, nor Centerlight Home Care have engaged in any wrongdoing. The allegations and implications made against us are false, misleading, and have caused significant harm to our reputation, our business, and the communities we serve,” Adhikari said.

In a story published on June 2, Daily Wire reporter Luke Rosiak analysed publicly available Medicaid payment data and identified two distinct patterns of alleged fraud in Ohio.

Rosiak documented 288 home health companies in Columbus that shared the same addresses, many of them clustered in seven mostly empty office buildings along State Route 161. He visited these buildings and found vacant offices, months-old mail piling up, no staff, and signs reading “out to lunch”. According to the report, these companies collectively billed the US government more than $250 million in Medicaid funds between 2018 and 2024. Rosiak wrote that many of the companies were founded and operated by immigrants, including members of the Bhutanese-Nepali community.

Adhikari, whose ancestral roots are in Bhutan, said Centerlight Home Care has consistently complied with all regulations and standards and that its mission has always been centred on improving the quality of life of its clients.

The Daily Wire article used images of Adhikari, including a photograph featuring a private jet and personal vehicles, and suggested that the organisation primarily serves the Bhutanese refugee community. Rosiak alleged that families, particularly in the Bhutanese and Somali communities, have been enrolling as paid Medicaid home health providers for relatives who do not actually need care, collecting government money for services never rendered and, in some cases, paying kickbacks to clinicians who approved the paperwork.

The combined figure being cited in the US Congress is $1.2 billion in potential fraud in Ohio alone.

Adhikari rejected the claims, stating that only a small percentage of the organisation’s clients belong to the Bhutanese community and that services are provided based on need, not ethnicity or nationality.

“The article attempts to portray me as the central figure in a narrative that does not accurately reflect the reality of our organisation. The presence of a private jet in a photograph, personal vehicles, or social media posts does not constitute evidence of fraud, misconduct, or any illegal activity,” Adhikari said.

He further stressed that the reporting could have broader consequences, including reinforcing harmful stereotypes about the Bhutanese community and undermining trust in home care providers.

“The damage caused by false and misleading reporting extends beyond one person. It affects employees, clients, families, and communities who rely on organisations like ours every day,” he said, adding that his organisation was reviewing legal options to protect its reputation and hold accountable those responsible for publishing what he described as defamatory content.

“We will not be intimidated by sensationalised reporting, nor will we allow false narratives to define who we are or the work we have dedicated our lives to performing. We will continue serving our community with integrity, professionalism, and compassion,” Adhikari said.