2 ARRESTED AND 1 CONVICTED FOR TENNCARE FRAUD

GRAINGER, RUTHERFORD WOMEN CHARGED; MAURY CO. MAN CONVICTED

NASHVILLE –  People from Grainger and Rutherford Counties have been charged with TennCare fraud – and a Maury County resident has been convicted on TennCare fraud charges.

The Office of Inspector General (OIG) today announced that Regina Clark, 44, of Rutherford County was charged with 20 counts of TennCare fraud, eleven counts of prescription fraud and one count of identity theft. Clark is accused of presenting herself as an employee of a doctor’s office in phoning her own prescriptions to pharmacies throughout Rutherford County from 2003 until 2005.  She allegedly called in prescriptions for butalbital caffeine (a medication for migraine headaches), codeine hydrocodone (a painkiller), the anti-depressant clonazepam and cephalexin, an anti-biotic. The arrest was coordinated with the Rutherford County Sheriff’s Department and the City of LaVergne Police Department.

Penalties for the charges against Clark are up to two years for each TennCare fraud charge, two to four years for each count of prescription fraud and two to four years for the one count of identity theft. Assistant District Attorney Thomas Parkerson is prosecuting the case.

In an unrelated arrest, Lida Mae Taylor, 61 of Rutledge is accused of defrauding the state by helping another person conceal assets that would have made the person ineligible for TennCare.   Sheriff’s Officers in Grainger and Jefferson Counties assisted in the arrest.  The charges against Taylor are Class E and Class D felonies, punishable by up to four years in prison.  District Attorney General Al Schmutzer, Jr. is prosecuting the case.  

In addition, Nicholas Allen Walters, 23, of Maury County has pleaded guilty to one count each TennCare fraud, identity theft and theft of services, for using another person’s social security number to obtain medical services from hospitals and pharmacies which were paid for by TennCare.  

“We hope this sends a strong message across Tennessee that Governor Bredesen has set forth a zero tolerance policy for TennCare fraud and abuse and we intend to aggressively enforce it,” Inspector General Deborah Y. Faulkner said.  “We intend to preserve TennCare for people who are truly eligible.”