U.S. DISTRICT COURT, SOUTHERN DISTRICT, Ill.—The U.S. District Court (federal) system has been busy lately resolving several cases that involve locals, including a Mt. Vernon nurse sentenced for prescription drug abuse, and an Olney man found guilty of cheating the system while in the Richland County Jail.
LOCAL NURSE SENTENCED FOR PRESCRIPTION DRUG ABUSE
Stephen R. Wigginton, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Illinois, announced today that on September 3, 2104, Amber Jennings, 29, of Mt. Vernon, Illinois was sentenced to a term of three years’ probation. The two-count indictment alleged that Ms. Jennings obtained a controlled substance by fraud, misrepresentation and deception. At her plea on September 3, 2014, Jennings admitted to having a long history of drug and alcohol abuse which lead to the theft of prescription drugs from her workplace.
The investigation in this case was conducted by the Drug Enforcement Administration Office of Diversion Control. The case was handled by Assistant United States Attorney Ranley Killian and Special Assistant United States Attorney Michael Hallock.
PRISON INMATE CHEATS TAXPAYERS OUT OF MEDICAID FUNDS
Christopher Spivey, from a May 21 post on his Facebook page.
Stephen R. Wigginton, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Illinois, announced today that on September 3, 2014, Christopher Spivey, 30, pled guilty to submitting false and fraudulent bills in relation to personal assistant services in the Home Services Program, a Medicaid Waiver Program designed to allow individuals to stay in their homes instead of entering a nursing home. The investigation determined that Spivey was submitting bills claiming to care for the customer while he was incarcerated in Richland County Jail in Olney, Illinois.
The investigation was conducted by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General and the Illinois State Police’s Medicaid Fraud Control Bureau. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Liam Coonan and Special Assistant United States Attorney Michael J. Hallock.