A Georgie resident, once of Knoxville, Tennessee, has been convicted on charges of Theft of Services after authorities say she falsely claimed to still have custody of her child and maintain residency in Tennessee—claims that enabled her to illicitly draw on TennCare benefits. The Knox County District Attorney General’s office brought the conviction against Emily Hannum, 30, who was sentenced to a term of six years on supervised probation and ordered to make a full restitution of the fraudulently obtained sum, amounting to $19,453.81, plus an additional administrative fee of 5%.
The case was prosecuted by Knox County District Attorney General Charme P. Allen, who worked in conjunction with the Office of Inspector General (OIG). As reported by the Departement of finance and administration, OIG’s Inspector General Chad D. Holman underscored the gravity of the offense, stating, “Ms. Hannum knowingly provided false statements and cost taxpayers approximately $20 thousand while she lived in Georgia.” Notably, had Hannum not falsely claimed custody of her child and Tennessee residency, she would not have qualified for the benefits she received.
TennCare benefits, which are meant for Tennessee residents, are safeguarded against fraudulent claims by the vigilant monitoring procedures of the OIG. In an ongoing effort to protect the integrity of the program, Tennesseans are incentivized through the OIG Cash for Tips Program, encouraging folks to report suspected TennCare fraud. Rewards may be offered for tips that lead to successful convictions in such cases…