Davidson Co. Woman Charged with TennCare Fraud, Identity Theft

NASHVILLE – A Davidson County woman is charged with unlawful use of another person’s identity in order to pay for a fraudulent prescription for a sleeping aid.

The Office of Inspector General (OIG) today announced the arrest of Angela G. Legge, 38, of Nashville.  Her arrest was a joint effort with the Metropolitan Nashville Police Department.

Legge is charged with two counts of TennCare fraud, two counts of identity theft, two counts of forgery and two counts of theft of property.

The charges allege that on two separate occasions, Legge purchased Ambien, a strong sleeping aid, with prescriptions she’s accused of stealing from a former employer. Legge is accused of using prescriptions that were stolen from her previous employer and using a TennCare enrollee’s identity to pay for the prescription.

District Attorney General Victor S. Johnson, III will prosecute. If convicted, Legge could serve up to two years per charge for TennCare fraud, which is a class E felony, and up to four years on the drug and identity theft charges, which are class D Felonies.

“When it comes to controlled prescription drugs, there’s no end to the methods that are employed by people seeking their drug of choice,” Inspector General Deborah Y. Faulkner said. “But the crime of using TennCare to fraudulently access prescription drugs adds another layer to the charges.”

TennCare fraud is a Class E felony, carrying a sentence of up to two years in prison. Attempting to obtain a controlled substance by fraud is a Class D felony that carries a sentence of up to four years in prison per charge. District Attorney General Russell Johnson is prosecuting.

The OIG, which is separate from TennCare, began full operation in February 2005 and has investigated cases leading to over $2.5 million paid in restitution and recoupment to TennCare, with a total estimated cost avoidance of over $171 million for the TennCare program, according to latest figures.  To date, over 1,000 people have been charged with TennCare fraud.

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 from anywhere in Tennessee, or log on to www.tn.gov/tnoig and follow the prompts that read "Report TennCare Fraud."