SIX ARRESTED IN ROANE COUNTY FOR TENNCARE FRAUD

FIVE FAMILY MEMBERS, ONE INDIVIDUAL INDICTED

NASHVILLE, TN – Six Roane County residents – including a family of five – have been charged with TennCare fraud.

The Office of Inspector General (OIG) today announced the arrest of Edward “Buddy” Presswood, 61 and his 52-year-old wife Mildred Presswood, along with three of their children. Mildred Presswood faces 30-counts of TennCare fraud while one count of TennCare fraud was lodged against her husband. Their daughter Lisa Renee Presswood, 24, is charged with 20-counts of TennCare fraud. 29-year-old son Joey Allen Presswood faces three counts of TennCare fraud and daughter Tina Louise Presswood, 32, is charged with two counts of TennCare fraud. They were arrested by OIG investigators with assistance from the Rockwood and Harriman Police Departments and the Roane County Sheriff’s Office.

The Presswoods are accused of using the TennCare benefits of an elderly nursing home patient to obtain prescription drugs for their own use. Family members are also accused of concealing that the elderly woman was in a nursing home, while they obtained the drugs on numerous occasions during 2004. If convicted, each could receive up to two years in prison for each count against them.

“Prescription drug abuse takes many forms in Tennessee, taking down friends, co-workers and even family members,” Inspector General Deborah Faulkner said. “Our office will continue to track down and prosecute anyone who abuses any TennCare benefit, especially prescription drug benefits.”

In an unrelated case, another Roane County resident, 56-year-old Frances Devone Jones of Kingston, was arrested by the OIG on one count of TennCare fraud. The indictment alleges that between January of 2000 and April of 2004, Jones unlawfully obtained TennCare benefits by misrepresenting or failing to report to TennCare officials that she had private health insurance or access to such insurance, which would have made her ineligible to receive TennCare benefits.

Anyone can report suspected TennCare fraud by calling 1-800-433-3982 toll-free from anywhere in Tennessee, or log on to www.tennessee.gov/tenncare and follow the prompts that read “Report Fraud Now.”