A Tennessee woman has found herself on the wrong side of the law after a recent conviction for TennCare fraud, reporting from the state's Office of Inspector General (OIG) says 31-year-old TaTrayanna Edwards of Lebanon misrepresented her situation to improperly gain health care benefits.
During a three-year stretch, the now Rutherford County resident lied about having custody of her three children, a crucial factor determining eligibility for TennCare, which she wouldn't have received if facts were fairly disclosed, the OIG reported.
In an unfortunate turn for Ms. Edwards, her actions led to a May 21st guilty plea in Rutherford County on one count of TennCare fraud, saddling her with five years of supervised probation and an order of restitution to the tune of $14,585.42.
“Instances such as these are mostly preventable," asserted Inspector General Chad D. Holman, “as long as truthful information is being provided by potential TennCare recipients when applying for benefits," however, the situation with Ms. Edwards represents a failure in that respect, seeing taxpayer funds misused according to the case details, and Holman's trust in the TennCare applicants has also been shaken by such incidents.
On the prosecutorial front, Rutherford County District Attorney General Jennings H. Jones and Assistant District Attorney Ashley Chisum Hall handled the case against Edwards.
For those looking to contribute to the crackdown on TennCare fraud, the OIG encourages public involvement via the "Cash for Tips Program," and details for reporting suspicions of fraud can be found by calling 1-800-433-3982 or visiting their website.
