OVERTON COUNTY MAN CONVICTED OF TENNCARE FRAUDNASHVILLE – An Overton County man has been convicted of TennCare fraud. The Office of Inspector General (OIG) today announced that 32-year old Anthony Robbins of Monroe pleaded guilty to two counts of TennCare fraud and one count of obtaining a controlled substance by forgery. Governor Phil Bredesen created the OIG, one of the first units of its kind in the nation, in 2004. Since it became operational in February 2005, 261 people have been charged with TennCare fraud. “Prescription drug abuse is prevalent across Tennessee, and that abuse is compounded when people use public dollars to finance their drug habit,” Inspector General Deborah Y. Faulkner said. Robbins was arrested by the OIG in December for submitting three fraudulent prescriptions for OxyContin, a narcotic drug used to treat moderate to severe pain, and he used TennCare to pay for the pills. Robbins was sentenced to two years suspended to two years and a day of probation, in addition to losing his TennCare benefits for the next three years and he must contribute $500 to the Celina Police Department Drug Fund. The case was prosecuted by District Attorney William E. Gibson of Overton County. 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.” |
