They included a bookkeeper in Batesville; a Texarkana counselor, and a Batesville billing clerk, who all struck negotiated pleas to minor charges. Talk about an update to my earlier post on the filing earlier this week by Tom and Bontiea Goss, former leaders of Preferred Family Healthcare, the multistate health provider in the middle of the sprawling Arkansas public corruption case that produced numerous guilty pleas. Charity Navigator looks for a website on the Form 990 as an accountability and transparency metric. The company was at the center of a bribery and corruption scandal involving Arkansas legislators including former Arkansas Sen. Jeremy Hutchinson, the nephew of Gov. Our tough, determined, and feisty journalism has earned us over 63,000 Facebook followers, 58,000 Twitter followers, 35,000 Arkansas blog followers, and 70,000 daily email blasts, all of whom value our commitment to holding the powerful accountable. Preferred Family Healthcare provides a services in Missouri, Arkansas, Kansas, Oklahoma, and Illinois, including mental and behavioral health treatment and counseling, substance abuse treatment and counseling, employment assistance, aid to individuals with developmental disabilities, and medical services. See the metrics below for more information. Former executive and head of clinical operations Keith Fraser Noble, of Rogersville, Missouri. Rutledge said it was difficult investigating a company worth about $100 million, but investigators were able to learn the scope of the fraud involved. On October 23, 2020, The Northwest Arkansas Democrat Gazette published an article titled, "Firm to pay $6.5M to settle billing fraud case." Copyright 2023, Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, Inc. They pleaded not guilty, and are awaiting trial, which is scheduled to begin on Oct. 3, 2022. Preferred Family was the largest Medicaid-funded provider of counseling to troubled youth and adults in Arkansas, with 47 locations statewide. Meanwhile, the state has had to find organizations to deliver services to youth at risk, among others, and in some cases find a facility to hold the programs as locations are being sold due to the fraud. What we do know so far is that administrators of a nonprofit committed fraud and bribery, legislators have been convicted or pled guilty for similar behavior in the mix, and an administrator was hired and fired in the midst of the muck for what looks like whistleblowing but where Arkansas may see some conflict of interest. Here are SOME of the others. Todays agreement demonstrates PFHs willingness to take corrective actions regarding the criminal actions of former executives of the organization.. Once upon a time, back in 2009, a non-profit healthcare company emerged in Missouri, . For more information, please see the KY3 article. child welfare, medical services, and even employment services, they later merged with Preferred Family Healthcare (PFH) in 2015. None of the principals on either side are commenting. You're faster than our page! Host a wedding, meeting, event, or conference in any one of the property's events spaces. Preferred Family operates in five states. Then former Preferred Family executive Robin Raveendran was charged last week, accused of filing $2.3 million in improper Medicaid claims for mental health services. Our monthly magazine is free at over 500 locations in Central Arkansas. Read the IRS policies for compensation reporting, Source: IRS Form 990 (page 7), filing year 2020, Below are some key data points from the Exempt Organization IRS Business Master File (BMF) for this organization. This means that every time you visit this website you will need to enable or disable cookies again. Neal also stated that he was paid a $20,000 bribe by Milton Rusty Cranford in connection with the alleged scheme. PREFERRED FAMILY HEALTHCARE, INC. For more information regarding this matter, please see The Springfield News-Leader article. How these claims will be processed was not discussed during a morning press conference. Preferred Family Healthcare, a Springfield, Mo.-based mental healthcare provider, will pay $6.5 million after reaching a settlement with the state, Arkansas Attorney General Leslie Rutledge said Thursday (Oct. 22). The former chief operating officer and chief financial officer of Preferred Family were indicted by a federal grand jury on March 29, 2019. Charity Navigator looks for the existence of a whistleblower policy per the Form 990 as an accountability and transparency measure. Why Aren't Donated Clothes Always Given Away for Free? Citations Copy Citation. Subscribe to the NPQ newsletter to have our top stories delivered directly to your inbox. Political consultant Donald Andrew Jones, aka D.A. Green was approached and interviewed by the US attorneys office in 2017 for a criminal investigation it was conducting of PFH representatives. The lawsuit goes on to say that because of the interview, Green learned of possible unlawful campaign contributions by a PFH official and reported this activity in September 2017. The suit goes on to state that the next day, Bontiea Goss, his supervisor, informed him for the first time that she was concerned about his management style. Green was let go on January 9, 2018, with two more years left on his contract. Step up and make a difference by subscribing or donating to the Arkansas Times, the progressive, alternative newspaper in Little Rock that's been fighting for truth for 48 years. Preferred Family operates in several states and is based in Springfield, Missouri. Nonprofits act in the public trust and reporting publicly on activities is an important component. The state suspended Medicaid payments to the company and announced it would use the anti-fraud provisions in the contracts that allow them to be assigned to other providers. Political Consultant Donald Andrew Jones, of Willingboro, N.J., pleaded guilty to his role in a conspiracy from April 2011 to January 2017 to steal from an organization that receives federal funds. The organization said it also instituted a compliance program that aims to "deter and detect fraud and illegal actions. All rights reserved. Court: United States District Court, Eastern District of Missouri. The other employees are ok to work with, but there is a lot of gossiping . We are social . It has 47 locations in Arkansas. Bontiea Goss appeared in federal court in Springfield, Mo., at 1:35 p.m. today to change her plea in the case to guilty. Former Arkansas State Representative Eddie Wayne Cooper, of Melbourne, Ark., pleaded guilty to conspiracy to embezzle more than $4 million from Preferred Family Healthcare. Preferred Family Healthcare (PFH), the Springfield, Mo.-based company involved in a broad fraud scheme in Arkansas, will pay more than $8 million in forfeiture and restitution to the federal government and the state of Arkansas. Former Sens. 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. Calling the roll on bribery scandal: At least 20 have paid a Arkansas Food Hall of Fame nominations open Oct. 1, Discipline panel recommends 60-day suspension for Circuit Judge Robin Carroll of El Dorado. According to the case summary, the indictment alleges that the Gosses, while high-level executives at Preferred Family Healthcare Inc. (formerly known as Alternative Opportunities Inc.), and . Indictment claims charity money went to Missouri politicians, Executives of Springfield nonprofit linked to $1 million in illegal political activity, Your California Privacy Rights / Privacy Policy. This policy protects the organization and by extension those it serves, when it is considering entering into a transaction that may benefit the private interest of an officer, director and/or key employee of the organization. Springfield-based nonprofit Preferred Family Healthcare will pay more than $8 million to the federal government and the state of Arkansas as part of a non-prosecution agreement . Bontiea Bernedette Goss, 63, and her husband, Tommy "Tom" Ray Goss, 66, were high-level executives at Preferred Family Healthcare Inc., a charity that provided a variety of services to . Preferred Family Healthcare must relinquish the illegal profits it garnered from a wide-ranging fraud and bribery scheme, U.S. Attorney Teresa Moore for the Western District of Missouri noted in the statement. Official websites use .gov to try again. Three clients receiving counseling services also will be served elsewhere, according to the statement. Preferred Family Healthcare Inc. has earned a 100% for the Accountability & Finance beacon. Those employees have since been fired, and replaced with a leadership team "thatvalues compliance, accountability, and transparency," according to a statement from Preferred Family Healthcare. Date published: Jun 15, 2022. Advertisement KirksvilleMO | IRS ruling year: 1982 | EIN: 43-1236557. (BMF affiliation code: 3). Strictly Necessary Cookie should be enabled at all times so that we can save your preferences for cookie settings. A sentencing hearing has not been scheduled. Lisa Hammersly, writing for the North Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, summarizes. Those pleading guilty in the investigation and awaiting sentencing include: Marilyn Luann Nolan of Springfield, Mo., Preferred Family's former chief executive officer; Robin Raveendran of Little Rock, former director of operations and executive vice president; Keith Fraser Noble of Rogersville, Mo., former director of clinical operations; Milton Russell "Rusty" Cranford of Rogers, former head of operations and lobbying in Arkansas; former political consultant Donald Andrew "D.A." Jones pleaded guilty before U.S. Magistrate Judge David Rush to charges he participated in the bribery scheme to steal federal funds from PFH. Casetext research; Neither these AP materials nor any portion thereof may be stored in a computer except for personal and noncommercial use. The AP will not be held liable for any delays, inaccuracies, errors or omissions therefrom or in the transmission or delivery of all or any part thereof or for any damages arising from any of the foregoing. Its not something that has been done before, he said. With the investigation complete, and a settlement reached, Rutledge said its time for her and the unit to move onto other cases. In Arkansas and surrounding states, this question is being answered in real time as state contracts for health and human services get cancelled and individuals are fired and charged with crimes. Best Items to Donate to an Animal Shelter, Donors Prefer Charities that Earn All Four Beacons. Please refresh the page By becoming a subscriber or donating as little as $1 to our efforts, you'll not only have access to all of our articles, but you'll also be helping us hire more writers to expand our coverage and continue to bring important stories to light. The government will obtain forfeitures and restitution from those who have been found guilty and will seek the same from those awaiting trial, he said. Founded 1974, the Arkansas Times is a lively, opinionated source for news, politics & culture in Arkansas. That indictment alleged Cranford and co-conspirator Eddie Wayne Cooper, a Democrat who served in the Arkansas General Assembly from 2006 through 2011, received $264,000 in secret kickback payments from co-conspirator Donald Andrew Jones of Willingboro, N.J., who was paid nearly $1 million by the Springfield nonprofit in a bribery scheme that lasted almost six years, from February 2011 until January 2017. Click here to search for this organization's Forms 990 on the IRS website (if any are available). Her husband, Tommy Ray Goss, followed at 1:50 p.m. to enter a similar negotiated plea. The Program Expense Ratio is determined by Program Expenses divided by Total Expense (average of most recent three 990s). Learn more about the BMF on the IRS website, Use of intoxicating beverage (BMF activity code: 536), Organization which receives a substantial part of its support from a governmental unit or the general public 170(b)(1)(A)(vi) (BMF foundation code: 15), Independent - the organization is an independent organization or an independent auxiliary (i.e., not affiliated with a National, Regional, or Geographic grouping of organizations). Preferred Family operates in several states and is based in Springfield, Missouri. The statement from the Western District of Missouri confirmed Preferred Family's cooperation with the investigation. On October 9, 2018, The Arkansas Democrat-Gazette published an article titled, "Ex-billing clerk for nonprofit arrested, authorities say; Arkansan worked at firm at center of corruption probe." Court activity on June 19: Nichole E Grant vs Preferred Family Healthcare. . Cranford paid cash to Woods and also hired Woods girlfriend and sent cash to Wilkins church. Help us deliver the latest daily reporting and analysis on news, politics, culture and food in Arkansas. By signing up, you agree to our privacy policy and terms of use, and to receive messages from NPQ and our partners. On Friday, officials with Quapaw House, a Hot Springs-based company, announced they are finalizing an agreement to acquire Preferred Family's assets in . These defendants are the married couple Tom and Bontiea Goss, who pleaded not guilty and are scheduled for trial begin Oct. 3 in federal court in Springfield. Marian Conway, the executive director of the NY Community Bank Foundation, has a Masters in Interdisciplinary Studies, Writing and a Ph.D. in Public Policy, Nonprofit Management. Medicaid payments to Preferred Family were suspended on June 29th, and the Arkansas state Department of Health Services, employees of the affected nonprofits, and the individuals they served, are all scrambling. Become a member of Nonprofit Quarterly. Mo. Preferred Family Healthcare is a dynamic and caring organization committed to providing integrated care to assist individuals in achieving overall health and wellness. There, the former president, Oren Paris III, and a pal of Woods and consultant to the college, Randell Shelton, also got prison terms for involvement in the state money scandal. The executives behind both companies turned . Also, as part of the federal investigation, the former chief operating officer and chief financial officer of the charity were indicted by a federal grand jury on March 29, 2019. the Hot Springs nonprofit organization that acquired the assets of scandal-plagued Preferred Family Healthcare a year and a half ago. There was a problem saving your response. Timing issue arises on proposal to defund Jonesboro library, Conway School Board moves closer to a decision on contentious restroom policy. Jun. Presumably, this will clear the decks for the sentencing of three former state legislators whove pleaded guilty but have not been sentenced. A sentencing hearing has not been scheduled. Preferred Family is appealing the Medicaid payment suspension, it announced after the suspension. Former executive and head of clinical operations Keith Fraser Noble, of Rogersville, Missouri, pleaded guilty in September 2019 to concealment of a known felony. Jones of Willingboro, N.J.; former Arkansas Sen. Jeremy Hutchinson of Little Rock; former Arkansas Rep. Eddie Wayne Cooper of Melbourne; and former Arkansas Sen. Henry "Hank" Wilkins IV of Pine Bluff. For more information, please see The Springfield News-Leader article. Read the IRS policies for compensation reporting, Learn more about the BMF on the IRS website, Click here to search for this organization's Forms 990 on the IRS website, Expected to complete an audit, review, or compilation, No expectation (removed from scoring methodology), Zero Points for Both Program Expense AND Liabilities to Assets Scores. Where applicable, our services are accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities. To quote Sir Walter Scott, O, what a tangled webweweave whenfirst we practice todeceive!Marian Conway. by Talk Business & Politics staff([emailprotected]) April 1, 2022 3:55 pm 1,960 views. Arkansas headlines delivered to you on demand. The Justice Department today issued a news release about the guilty pleas yesterday in Springfield, Mo., by former top executives of Preferred Family Healthcare, a key player in a huge corruption scandal involving payments to Arkansas legislators to help steer money to the provider of government-financed health services. She has discovered that her job and education have made her a popular person with nonprofits and a prime candidate for their boards. As todays announcement underscores, although the individuals directly involved are no longer with Preferred Family Healthcare, this organization is accepting responsibility for its employees actions., The misuse and misappropriation of millions of federally sourced funds, designated for employment training and behavioral healthcare services to the public, by former executives of Preferred Family Healthcare (PFH) is a gross abuse of the positions of trust they once held within the organization, said Special Agent-in-Charge Steven Grell of the U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General. Former Preferred Family Healthcareemployees were accused of embezzling funds from the charity to bribeArkansas lawmakers, as well as funneling charity funds to contribute to Missouri politicians. A sentencing hearing has not been scheduled. As a condition of this non-prosecution agreement, representatives of Preferred Family Healthcare admitted that former officers and employees of the charity engaged in a conspiracy to, amongst other criminal activity, embezzle funds from the charity and to bribe several elected state officials in the Arkansas House of Representatives and the Arkansas Senate. ARKANSAS ELECTIONS: Full coverage of 2018 primary races. In addition, the former vice president for Preferred Family, Robin Raveendran, has been charged with Medicaid fraud, involving 20,000 illegally billed services . A sentencing hearing has not been scheduled. According to the release, Preferred Family Healthcare will forfeit more than $6.9 million to the federal government and pay more than $1.1 million in restitution to the state of Arkansas for misuse of funds from the states general improvement fund. This measure reflects the percent of its total expenses a charity spends on the programs and services it exists to deliver. Our Behavioral Health clinics are part of Preferred Family Healthcare's Certified Community Behavior Health Organization providing; assessment, diagnosis, therapy and medication management. Several former executives from the charity, former members of the Arkansas state legislature, and others have pleaded guilty in federal court as part of the multi-jurisdiction, federal investigation, including the following: Former Chief Executive Officer Marilyn Luann Nolan of Springfield pleaded guilty to her role in a conspiracy to embezzle and misapply the funds of a charitable organization that received federal funds. Former Arkansas State Senator Jeremy Hutchinson, of Little Rock, Arkansas, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit federal program bribery. Though not strictly linked to Preferred Family Healthcare, this list doesnt include former Rep. Micah Neal, who first planned to take a bribe to help an affiliate of Preferred Family Healthcare but found another bribe payer when that particular plot fell through, and the Godfather of legislative crooks, former Sen. Jon Woods, now serving an 18-year sentence for the bribery swindle involving state money shipped to Ecclesia College. There is also no indication that the other individual who bribed Neal had any connection with the Defendants. NPQ is the leading journal in the nonprofit sector written by social change experts. For more serious medical procedures, expats often travel to neighbouring Singapore. How to Facilitate and Engage in Healthy Decision-making Processes. Former employee and head of operations and lobbying in Arkansas, Milton Russell Cranford, aka Rusty, of Rogers, Arkansas, was sentenced to seven years in federal prison without parole after pleading guilty to one count of federal program bribery. Associated Press text, photo, graphic, audio and/or video material shall not be published, broadcast, rewritten for broadcast or publication or redistributed directly or indirectly in any medium. The government argues that the scheme is intertwined, as the Gosses put it because: (1) Neal was able to redirect the money because Ameriworks returned it; (2) the GIF money was returned in an effort to conceal the bribery scheme; and (3) Neals redirecting the money in exchange for another bribe completes the story. The Gosses argued this isnt persuasive. On July 8, 2019, The Washington Post published an article titled, "Former Arkansas lawmaker pleads guilty in corruption case." Please try again. Hundreds of people were interviewed and about 1 million documents were generated during the investigation, she said. 15, 2022) Make your practice more effective and efficient with Casetext's legal research suite. Human Services administrators and executives of Preferred Family met Friday to begin shutting down the first three contracts, which are with the department's Division of Children and Family Services, according to a statement by the department Friday afternoon. Apr 27 . The Form 990 is a document that nonprofit organizations file with the IRS annually. He pleaded guilty to the conspiracy charge and also to aiding in preparation of false tax returns. On June 15, 2019, The Northwest Arkansas Democrat Gazette published an article titled, "Arkansas attorney general charges ex-counselor at nonprofit with Medicaid fraud." She pleaded guilty to a single conspiracy charge that could carry a federal sentence of 5 years in prison. Lobbyist Milton Rusty Cranford pled guilty to a $3.5 million bribery case, and several lawmakers had to step down from their positions. Todays agreement demonstrates PFHs willingness to take corrective actions regarding the criminal actions of former executives of the organization.. Several former officers and employees are being prosecuted in separate criminal cases for their individual criminal conduct. . Preferred Family Healthcare was the nexus of federal corruption investigations by the U.S. attorneys for the Western District of Missouri and the Eastern and Western Districts of Arkansas. "Preferred Family Healthcare's first priority remains the clients served and the more than 700 employees who support them across the state of Arkansas.". Cranford also pleaded guilty to a conspiracy charge June 7. Talk Business & Politics is a news website that covers business, politics and culture in Arkansas. loading and try your donation again. They may testify. The department expects to have a timeline for all the remaining contracts within the next week, the statement said. As a result, the Accountability & Finance score for Preferred Family Healthcare Inc. is outdated and the overall rating may not be representative of its current operations. Most of the charitys funding is from appropriated federal funds the largest portion being Medicaid reimbursement. The Gosses filed a motion this week in federal court in Springfield objecting to the federal governments plan to introduce evidence of a particular Arkansas bribery scheme in the case against them. We leverage finance and accountability data from it to form Encompass ratings. Jones, of Willingboro, New Jersey, pleaded guilty to his role in a conspiracy from April 2011 to January 2017 to steal from an organization that receives federal funds. According to a statement Friday (April 1) from the office of U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Arkansas, the payment comes under the terms of a non-prosecution agreement, which acknowledges the criminal conduct of the mental healthcare providers former officers and employees. The news release is useful for its PARTIAL list of people taken down in the rampant corruption. PREFERRED FAMILY HEALTHCARE, INC. IS A COMMUNITY BASED HEALTHCARE ORGANIZATION PROVIDING INTEGRATED SERVICES TARGETING THE WHOLE-PERSON. He also agreed to a forfeiture of assets up to $4.3 million. A sentencing hearing has not been scheduled. For more information, please see The Arkansas Democrat-Gazette article. For more information, please see The Northwest Arkansas Democrat Gazette article. Help us deliver the latest daily reporting and analysis on news, politics, culture and food in Arkansas. Former employee and head of operations and lobbying in Arkansas, Milton Russell Cranford, aka Rusty, of Rogers, Arkansas, was sentenced to seven years in federal prison without parole after pleading guilty to one count of federal program bribery. Micah Neal, a Springdale Republican, won the race to the courthouse to become the first cooperating witness in the case and served a year of home confinement for his crime. By signing the non-prosecution agreement, PFH officials admitted that former officers and employees of the charity engaged in a conspiracy to, amongst other criminal activity, embezzle funds from the charity and to bribe several elected state officials in the Arkansas House of Representatives and the Arkansas Senate. Preferred Family Healthcare, a Springfield, Mo.-based mental healthcare provider, will pay $6.5 million after reaching a settlement with the state, Arkansas Attorney General Leslie Rutledge said Thursday (Oct. 22). Family Therapists Behavior Analysts Licensed Social Workers Community Support Specialists Certified Teachers Prevention Specialists And many more.. Our Mission. Advance Practice Nurses Under the terms of the non-prosecution agreement, Preferred Family Healthcare will forfeit more than $6.9 million to the federal government and pay more than $1.1 million in restitution to the state of Arkansas related to the misuse of funds from the states general improvement fund. More:Executives of Springfield nonprofit linked to $1 million in illegal political activity. The additional income gained by Preferred Family Healthcare from Cranford's bribes enabled Cranford and other executives of the charity to engage in multiple schemes to embezzle, steal, and unjustly enrich themselves at the expense of the charity, including, but not limited to, diverting charity funds to for-profit companies owned by the . Some have completed sentences; some await sentencing: Former Chief Executive Officer, 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. UPDATE: This scandal roundup isnt complete without the guilty plea of Jerry Walsh, who headed South Arkansas Youth Services, who diverted state money to Cranfords lobbying firm. The letter notes that there are many aspects of PFHs current operations that are within Dr. Greens former official responsibilities as director of the Division of Behavioral Health Services. Millions of documents, including emails, texts messages, contracts and others had to be deciphered by his team of four attorneys. The state yanked the company's licenses to operate in Arkansas on June 29, 2018, after the federal investigation exposed the breadth of the scandal. Gov. Learn more about our criteria and methodology. It is not the only allegation of wrongdoing the Gosses face, but other bribes and political campaigns to legislators for their influence in guiding millions in Medicaid and other money to the provider of health services. On November 13, 2018, KY3 published an article titled, "Ex-Springfield charity pleads guilty to multi-million dollar political corruption scheme." Behavioral Health Technician (Former Employee) - Trenton, MO - April 24, 2023.
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