NASHVILLE
Woman accused of TennCare fraud
A Chickamauga, Ga., woman has been charged in Chattanooga with claiming to live in Tennessee to get benefits through TennCare, the state's public health care insurance program, a news release states.
The Office of Inspector General on Tuesday announced the arrest of Alpha Clark, alias Alpha Dee Fossett, 64. An indictment accuses Clark of falsifying her TennCare application and reverification documents by saying she lived in Tennessee, though she had moved to Georgia. The charges cover a period from Oct. 1, 2009, through Feb. 9, 2011.
Clark is charged with four counts of TennCare fraud, three counts of identity theft and three counts of obtaining a controlled substance by fraud, the release states. In addition to the charges related to residency, she is accused of presenting three prescriptions for the painkillers Roxicodone, Oxycodone and Percocet that were written under the name and DEA number of a physician without authorization.
In September 2009, Clark was convicted in Georgia of distribution of Oxycodone. She was on probation for that conviction when she is alleged to have committed the offenses in Tennessee.
TennCare fraud is a Class E felony, carrying a sentence of up to two years in prison per charge. Attempting to obtain a controlled substance by fraud and identity theft both are Class D felonies carrying a sentence of up to four years in prison per charge.
District Attorney General Bill Cox is prosecuting the case.
GORDON COUNTY, Ga.
Plant accident kills worker
A maintenance worker died after a heavy machine hit his head at an industrial plant in Gordon County on Sunday.
Shin Gyun Kim, of Rossville, was airlifted to Erlanger hospital but died several hours later, Gordon County Deputy Coroner Bo Nicholson said.
Kim was replacing a hydraulic cylinder at the L.G. Chemicals Industrial Materials Co. plant south of Calhoun when the machine swung around and struck him in the head, Nicholson said.
Occupational Safety and Health Administration agents are investigating.
ROME, Ga.
Police seek three in Sears theft
Police released surveillance video of a theft at a Rome Sears store that netted about $13,000 in cash.
Authorities say they're looking for three people - two females and a male - who are shown in the video. Police say it shows the trio walking into the store and then later shows the man prying open the door to the safe room.
Police told the Rome News-Tribune the theft happened Sunday night, when the two women inquired about a job application. Employees told police that a human resources employee took the women into her office to apply for jobs, while the man entered the safe room near the office. Authorities say he used a screwdriver to pry the safe open.