Hawkins County Man Convicted Sixth Time for TennCare Fraud
NASHVILLE – A Hawkins County man has been convicted of five counts of TennCare fraud and must make restitution to TennCare.
The Office of Inspector General (OIG) today announced the conviction of Lawrence Lamons III of Bulls Gap, Tennessee, in connection with doctor shopping to obtain prescription drugs. Charges showed that between May 2020 and August 2021, Lamons was seen at 12 different medical facilities in Tennessee for a total of 34 visits within the period.
Doctor shopping occurs when someone knowingly obtains a controlled substance prescription and fails to advise the prescribing authority that they had been prescribed the same controlled substance or a substance of similar therapeutic use from a different prescribing authority within the same 30-day period.
The case was accepted and prosecuted by the Hawkins County District Attorney’s office, led by District Attorney General Dan E. Armstrong, with the assistance of ADA Bradley R. Jones.
As a result of the conviction, Lamons was sentenced to three years of supervised probation, was fined $1,250 and will repay TennCare 254.84.
“Mr. Lamons is no stranger to the Office of Inspector General, having been charged and convicted of TennCare fraud on five other occasions for related offenses,” Inspector General Chad D. Holman said. “Although the frequency of doctor shopping cases has declined, the OIG remains vigilant in pursuing offenses against the TennCare program.”
The OIG’s “Most Wanted” list can be located online at https://www.tn.gov/finance/fa-oig/fa-oig-most-wanted.html. Anyone with information about a wanted subject is urged to use the contact information on the page.
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.”