CHATTANOOGAN ARRESTED ON SIX COUNTS OF TENNCARE FRAUDNASHVILLE – A Chattanooga woman has been arrested for six counts of TennCare fraud – five months after charged were lodged against her. The Office of Inspector General (OIG) today announced that Lolita Hines, 43, managed to elude authorities after the charges were filed in December of 2005. Hines is accused of four counts of fraudulently obtaining TennCare benefits she was not entitled to and two counts of attempting to do so. She was finally arrested by Hamilton County Sheriff’s deputies. Governor Phil Bredesen created the Office of Inspector General, one of the first units of its kind in the nation, in 2004. Since it became operational in February 2005, 246 people have been charged with TennCare fraud, leading to 59 convictions for TennCare fraud and 14 cases resolved. The charges against Hines say that from June 2004 through June 2005, she received, or attempted to receive controlled prescription medications from local pharmacies, using TennCare to pay for the fraudulent prescriptions. If convicted of these Class E felony charges, Hines could be sentenced for up to twelve years and fined $18,000. Through the OIG “Cash for Tips” program established by the Legislature, Tennesseans can get cash rewards for TennCare fraud tips that lead to convictions. Anyone can report suspected TennCare fraud by calling 1-800-433-3982 toll-free from anywhere in Tennessee, or log on to www.tncarefraud.tennessee.gov and follow the prompts that read “Report Fraud Now.” |
