A Coffee County man is charged with TennCare fraud and theft of services for allegedly under-reporting his income so that he and his family appeared to qualify for TennCare healthcare insurance benefits.

The Office of Inspector General (OIG), in a joint effort with the Coffee County Sheriff's Office has announced the arrest of 42-year-old James Smithey of Manchester. Authorities accuse Smithey of reporting a lower income than he was earning so that his family qualified for TennCare.

"The TennCare program is designed to provide benefits for the residents of Tennessee who rightfully qualify," Inspector Kim Harmon said. "The Office of Inspector General has demonstrated a proven commitment through our diligent investigation process to ensure that our taxpayer's money is being used properly."

If convicted Smithey could face penalties of up to a maximum of 24 years in prison for the charges, which are Class D felonies.