Tennessee’s $123M Contract Controversy: Executives Facing Serious Charges

Tennessee’s $123M Contract Controversy Executives Facing Serious Charges
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Federal prosecutors stated on Tuesday that two individuals who were allegedly involved in bid manipulation for a $123 million contract—a former executive at a private contractor and a former jail official in Tennessee—had been charged with conspiracy to obstruct justice and commit perjury.

2020 saw the filing of a lawsuit by Corizon, a Tennessee-based prison contractor, alleging that Wesley Landers, the former chief financial officer of the Tennessee Department of Corrections, had sent internal emails to former vice president Jeffrey Wells of Centurion of Tennessee, a rival company, about the behavioral health care contract.

The lawsuit was settled in 2022, with Centurion winning the contract and Landers receiving a “cushy” job with a Centurion affiliate in Georgia.

The Middle District of Tennessee U.S. Attorney’s Office announced criminal charges against Landers and Wells on Tuesday. Emails requesting comments were not immediately answered by either.

The same charges made in Corizon’s complaint are mentioned in the statement, despite the fact that Centurion and Corizon are not named.

According to Corizon’s lawsuit, Landers forwarded official Tennessee Department of Correction emails to a personal Gmail account before sending them to Wells. Among the emails was a draft of the new contract’s request for proposals that had not yet been made public.

The smaller Corizon, which had won the two prior bids, was essentially forced out of the behavioral health contract when the performance bond was raised from $1 million to $118 million.

A $118 million performance bond would have eaten into Centurion’s profits, but the lawsuit also accused state authorities of raising the contract award to $123 million after Centurion got it. Addiction and mental health care are included in behavioral health services.

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The lawsuit states that Centurion dismissed Wells and Landers in February 2021.

Federal prosecutors said in the statement on Tuesday that Landers and Wells plotted to conceal their cooperation following Corizon’s lawsuit and the issuance of subpoenas seeking correspondence between the two.

According to the statement, Landers lied in their depositions, used a special application to erase emails, and both bought new smartphones to discuss how to conceal information. Both men may spend up to five years in federal prison if found guilty.

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With more than two years of expertise in news and analysis, Eileen Stewart is a seasoned reporter. Eileen is a respected voice in this field, well-known for her sharp reporting and insightful analysis. Her writing covers a wide range of subjects, from politics to culture and more.