KNOX CO. WOMAN ACCUSED OF ATTEMPTED TENNCARE PRESCRIPTION FRAUDNASHVILLE – A Knox County woman has been arrested for attempting to use her TennCare benefits to pay for a fraudulent prescription for a controlled substance. The Office of Inspector General (OIG) today announced the arrest of Sharon Hill, 33, of Knoxville. An indictment accuses her of knowingly trying to obtain by fraudulent means the painkiller Lortab, a brand version of hydrocodone. The Knox County Sheriff’s Department was notified and Hill was taken into custody and charged with acquisition of a controlled substance by fraud or forgery. “In recent months, we’ve seen an increase in prescription fraud referrals,” Inspector General Deborah Faulkner said. “We will continue to use all resources to thoroughly investigate and aggressively prosecute all forms of TennCare fraud.” TennCare fraud is a Class E felony, which carries a sentence of up to two years in prison. District Attorney Randall Nichols is prosecuting. Anyone can report suspected TennCare fraud by calling 1-800-433-3982 toll-free from anywhere in Tennessee, or log on to www.tennessee.gov/tenncare and follow the prompts that read “Report Fraud Now.”
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