A Grainger County man has been charged with TennCare fraud relating to the resale of a controlled substance.

The Office of Inspector General announced that 34-year old Roy M. Warwick was indicted by a Hamblen County Grand Jury on one count of TennCare fraud. Warwick is accused of using TennCare to obtain a prescription for the painkiller Roxicodone, a brand form of Oxycodone, concealing that he planned to sell a portion of the pills.

"Providers, local law enforcement and state agencies are simply no longer tolerating this kind of abuse of TennCare, especially when it relates to addictive prescription painkillers," Inspector General Deborah Y. Faulkner said. "We're intent on prosecuting every one of these cases to the fullest extent possible."

TennCare fraud is a Class E felony carrying a sentence of up to two years in prison. District Attorney General James Dunn is prosecuting.

TheOIG announced the arrest of 41-year old Ricky W. Smith, of Livingston. The arrest was the result of a joint effort with the Overton County Sheriff's Office.

For the past ten months, Smith has been a fugitive from justice, indicted in Overton County in January of this year. His whereabouts were unknown until last week. He was indicted on charges of obtaining a prescription for the painkiller Avinza, a form of Morphine, using TennCare to pay for the prescription, and then selling a portion of it.

"Drug diversion - selling prescription drugs - will not be tolerated in the TennCare program," Inspector General Deborah Y. Faulkner said. "People who participate in selling drugs paid for by TennCare - and those who buy them - should understand this is a serious crime we intend to prosecute."

TennCare fraud is a Class E felony carrying a sentence of up to two years in prison. District Attorney General Randall York is prosecuting.

The OIG, a law enforcement agency separate from TennCare, began full operation in February 2005 and has worked cases leading to the arrest of over 700 individuals for TennCare fraud, with nearly $1 million paid in restitution to TennCare, and total estimated cost avoidance in TennCare of over $75 million, according to latest figures.

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