Rhea County Woman Guilty in TennCare Fraud Case

NASHVILLE – A Rhea County woman has been convicted of theft of services after she was charged with the crime October 5, 2023 in connection with TennCare fraud.

The Office of Inspector General (OIG) today announced the conviction of 31-year-old Erica J. Sumner of Grandview, Tennessee. Sumner was convicted of one count of theft of services for misrepresenting her household structure and receiving TennCare healthcare insurance benefits for herself by falsely claiming her child lived in her home. Without that claim, Ms. Sumner wasn’t eligible for TennCare.   

Sumner must also pay restitution to TennCare totaling $22,296.00 and was sentenced to six years of supervised probation. Her case was prosecuted by the Rhea County District Attorney General Courtney Lynch, with the assistance of ADA Cameron B. Williams.  

“The actions committed by Ms. Sumner as revealed through the subsequent investigation directly impact Tennessee taxpayers,” Inspector General Chad D. Holman said.  “As a result of the OIG investigation and conviction, Ms. Sumner has been ordered to repay TennCare for the benefits that she illegally received.”

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 or by logging on to www.tn.gov/oig/ and following the prompts that read “Report TennCare fraud.”