Federal prosecutors have charged two Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority train operators with defrauding insurance company Aflac with fake health care claims.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia said in a release Friday that two Marylanders, Michelle Shropshire, 54, of Waldorf, and Harlisha Jones, 49, of Clinton, submitted the purportedly false claims from June 2021 through January 2024.

The attorney’s office said the pair forged the signatures of real doctors and used their information to create false doctor’s notes and other such documents. These forms were then used to file for coverage for medical treatment, injuries and short-term disability periods that didn’t exist.

Prosecutors allege that the pair also helped other WMATA employees file fake claims, including Sharon Washington, 53, of Woodbridge, Virginia, and Marylanders Selethia Blake, 53, of Waldorf, Brady Turner, 56, of Clinton, Lushawn Foreman, 51, of Upper Marlboro and Margot Jackson, 52, of Hughesville.

Those five have admitted involvement and have pleaded guilty to conspiracy charges, federal prosecutors said.

Aflac paid at least $362,035.14 to the group of WMATA employees, with 20% of each person’s proceeds sent as a kickback to Ms. Shropshire, the attorney’s office said.

USAO-DC has charged Ms. Shropshire and Ms. Jones with health care fraud, wire fraud, mail fraud, aggravated identity theft and conspiracy. 

If convicted, Ms. Shropshire and Ms. Jones face up to 20 years in prison for the fraud and conspiracy charges and an additional mandatory two years for identity theft.

Metro told Maryland’s WDVM-TV that it “does not comment on personnel issues.”

• Brad Matthews can be reached at bmatthews@washingtontimes.com.