Former Tennessee Drug Abuse Director Sentenced To Prison For Theft And Fraud

The former director of a Tennessee drug abuse prevention group has been sentenced to 15 months in prison for using the nonprofit’s money to buy an automobile, renovate his home and pay personal bills. Beginning in 2014, Patrick Martin of Gainesboro diverted grant money that was supposed to benefit the Community Prevention Coalition of Jackson County for his personal use, according to the U.S. attorney’s office in Nashville. He also used employment taxes withheld from his employees’ paychecks for his own benefit. To hide the embezzlement, investigators say Martin filed false income tax returns. Martin pleaded guilty a year ago, last August, to wire fraud and tax fraud charges. In addition to his prison sentence, Martin was ordered to pay $375,000 in restitution to the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services for the grant money he took, and $132,373 to the IRS. Martin was also ordered to forfeit $211,795.