Lebanon, TN Resident Convicted of TennCare Fraud

NASHVILLE, TN— Today, the Office of Inspector General (OIG) announced the conviction of 31-year-old TaTrayanna Edwards of Lebanon, Tennessee. Ms. Edwards was a resident of Rutherford County during the 3-year fraud period identified by the OIG's investigation.    

On May 21, in Rutherford County, Ms. Edwards pleaded guilty to one count of TennCare fraud for misrepresenting to TennCare that she had custody of her three children to receive benefits. Had Ms. Edwards properly reported her household composition, she would have been deemed ineligible to receive TennCare benefits.  

As a result of her plea, Ms. Edwards was sentenced to five years of supervised probation and ordered to pay full restitution to the Division of TennCare in the amount of $14,585.42. 

Rutherford County District Attorney General Jennings H. Jones prosecuted Ms. Edwards' case with the assistance of Assistant District Attorney Ashley Chisum Hall.

“Instances such as these are mostly preventable, as long as truthful information is being provided by potential TennCare recipients when applying for benefits,” stated Inspector General Chad D. Holman. “Misrepresenting the accurate composition of a household leads to the misappropriation of taxpayer funds. In this instance, the expenditures were made for someone who was not eligible to receive them.”

Through the OIG Cash for Tips Program established by the TN Legislature, Tennesseans may qualify for cash rewards for TennCare fraud-related tips that lead to conviction(s).  To report suspected TennCare fraud, call 1-800-433-3982 or visit www.tn.gov/oig and follow the prompts to “Report TennCare fraud.”

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