Two Middle Tennessee Residents Charged with TennCare Fraud

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – A pair of Middle Tennessee residents are each charged with TennCare fraud related to prescription drugs – and for each of them, it’s their second arrest for TennCare fraud.

The Office of Inspector General (OIG) today announced the arrests of McMinn County and Coffee County residents in separate TennCare fraud cases.

Erica Thurman, 29, of Athens in McMinn County, is charged in nearby Knox County with TennCare doctor shopping, which involves going to multiple providers to obtain similar prescriptions for controlled substances, using TennCare as payment. She is charged with TennCare fraud and obtaining a controlled substance by fraud. District Attorney General Charme P. Allen will prosecute this case. Erica was first arrested in March of 2015 in charges from McMinn County accusing her of doctor shopping and obtaining a controlled substance by fraud. She pleaded guilty and was sentenced to serve two years in prison. She was paroled this month, but was immediately transported to Knox County to be served with the new charges. Upon her release May 23, 2016, she was transported to the Knox County Sheriff’s Office where she was served with the current charges. 

In the other case, Vicki Hargrove, 34, of Tullahoma, is charged in Moore County with fraudulently obtaining a controlled substance by doctor shopping. In addition, she was charged with obtaining a controlled substance by fraud.  District Attorney General Robert Carter will prosecute. Hargrove was arrested just three months ago in February on an indictment in Coffee County for TennCare fraud in connection with fraudulently obtaining the painkillers Hydrocodone and Oxycodone by means of doctor shopping. She has since plead guilty and was placed on two years’ probation.  District Attorney General Craig Northcott prosecuted the Coffee County case.

“Eliminating the abuse of TennCare benefits, especially to obtain pain medications, is one of our main priorities,” Inspector General Manny Tyndall said. “Local police, providers and the healthcare community are with us in our effort to weed out this problem within the TennCare program.”

TennCare fraud is a Class E felony carrying a sentence of up to two years in prison per charge.

Three people from Davidson County, including a husband and wife, are charged with TennCare fraud. All three cases involve prescription drug fraud.

The OIG, which is separate from TennCare, began full operation in February 2005 and has investigated cases leading to more than $3 million being repaid to TennCare, with a total estimated cost avoidance of more than $163.6 million for TennCare, according to latest figures. To date, 2,634 people have been charged with TennCare fraud.

Anyone can report suspected TennCare fraud by calling 1-800-433-3982 toll-free from anywhere in Tennessee, or visit the website and follow prompts that read “Report TennCare Fraud.”