The Gosses and their co-conspirators allegedly provided bribes and kickbacks to elected state officials in Arkansas.
Bontiea Bernedette Goss, aged 65, has been handed a three-year prison sentence, while her husband, Tommy "Tom" Ray Goss, aged 68, received a six-year prison sentence. These sentences were a result of their involvement in a public corruption scheme, which took place in the State of Arkansas and encompassed embezzlement and bribes paid to various elected public officials. Additionally, they have been collectively instructed to pay $4.35 million in forfeiture and/or restitution.
Bontiea and Tom Goss, who previously held the positions of chief operating officer and chief financial officer at Preferred Family Healthcare Inc., a charitable organization operating in Missouri, Arkansas, Kansas, Oklahoma, and Illinois, are mentioned in court documents. This organization offered a range of services such as mental and behavioral health treatment, counseling, substance abuse treatment, employment assistance, aid for individuals with developmental disabilities, and medical services.
The Gosses and their co-conspirators allegedly provided bribes and kickbacks to elected state officials in Arkansas. In return, these officials took favorable legislative and official actions for the charity, which included influencing legislation that would impact the organization and directing funds from the State's General Improvement Fund.
As part of an extensive federal investigation spanning multiple jurisdictions, several other former executives of the charity, former members of the Arkansas state legislature, and various individuals have also pleaded guilty in federal court. This information was disclosed in the Justice Department's press release:
Former CEO Marilyn Luann Nolan, of Springfield, Missouri, pleaded guilty in November 2018 to her role in a conspiracy to embezzle and misapply the funds of a charitable organization that received federal funds.
Former Director of Operations and Executive Vice President Robin Raveendran, of Little Rock, Arkansas, pleaded guilty in June 2019 to conspiracy to commit bribery concerning programs receiving federal funds.
Former Executive and Head of Clinical Operations Keith Fraser Noble, of Rogersville, Missouri, pleaded guilty in September 2019 to concealment of a known felony.
Former employee and Head of Operations and Lobbying in Arkansas Milton Russell Cranford, also known as Rusty, of Rogers, Arkansas, was sentenced to seven years in prison after pleading guilty to one count of federal program bribery.
Political consultant Donald Andrew Jones, also known as D.A. Jones, of Willingboro, New Jersey, pleaded guilty in December 2017 to his role in a conspiracy from April 2011 to January 2017 to steal from an organization that receives federal funds.
Former Arkansas State Senator Jeremy Hutchinson, of Little Rock, pursuant to a global plea agreement, pleaded guilty on June 25, 2019 in the Eastern District of Arkansas to filing a false tax return; pleaded guilty on June 25, 2019, to an information filed in the Western District of Arkansas to conspiracy to commit federal program bribery; and pleaded guilty in the Western District of Missouri on July 8, 2019, to conspiracy to commit federal program bribery. Hutchinson was sentenced to eight years in prison.
Former Arkansas State Representative Eddie Wayne Cooper, of Melbourne, Arkansas, pleaded guilty in February 2018 to conspiracy to embezzle more than $4 million from Preferred Family Healthcare.
Former Arkansas State Senator and State Representative Henry “Hank” Wilkins IV pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit federal program bribery and devising a scheme and artifice to defraud and deprive the citizens of the State of Arkansas of their right to honest services. Wilkins was sentenced to one year and one day in prison.
In September 2022, Bontiea and Tom Goss admitted their guilt in a conspiracy to offer bribes and kickbacks to elected officials in Arkansas. Tom Goss also confessed to participating in the conspiracy by misappropriating funds from the charity and committing tax fraud.
Furthermore, in 2022, Preferred Family Healthcare agreed to pay over $8 million in forfeiture and restitution to the federal government and the State of Arkansas. This agreement, known as a non-prosecution agreement, recognized the unlawful actions of the organization's former officers and employees.
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