Evergreen Reporter

NASHVILLE – Wesley Olan Landers, 55, of Cumming, Georgia, and Jeffrey Scott Wells, 54, of Canton, Georgia, have been charged by felony information with conspiracy to obstruct justice and to commit perjury in connection with a $123 million contract to provide behavioral health services to Tennessee Department of Corrections (TDOC) inmates. This announcement was made by Thomas J. Jaworski, Acting United States Attorney for the Middle District of Tennessee.

According to the information provided, Landers served as the Deputy Commissioner and Chief Financial Officer for TDOC from 2012 until March 2020. From at least 2018 until February 2021, Wells held the position of Vice President at Company B.

In 2019, Company A was responsible for providing behavioral health services to TDOC inmates. As the contract neared expiration, the State of Tennessee issued Requests for Proposals (RFPs) for a new TDOC behavioral health services contract. Prospective vendors were invited to bid on this new contract. Several bids were received and in July 2020, the state announced its intent to award the new contract to Company B in Tennessee. The total amount for this new contract was $123,513,819.

Before the awarding of this new contract, from September 2018 until February 2020, Landers used his personal email account while serving as a Tennessee State official to share confidential TDOC information related to the bidding process with Wells. On March 1, 2020, Company B hired Landers as its Vice President of Operations reporting directly to Wells. This position was created specifically for Landers; it was not advertised publicly nor were other candidates interviewed before he was hired. By February 2021, senior leadership at Company B discovered that Landers had shared confidential TDOC information with Wells regarding the RFPs leading to their termination by Company B's CEO.

In October 2020, prior to their termination but following these events, Company A filed a civil lawsuit related to the RFPs in federal court in Nashville naming among others Company B and the State of Tennessee as defendants. In this lawsuit, subpoenas were served on Landers and Wells requesting documents and testimony concerning all communications with TDOC employees related to the RFPs.

To impede an FBI investigation into potential bribery and conceal that Landers had shared confidential TDOC information with Wells about the RFPs process they agreed on a cover-up plan which included committing perjury during their depositions in this federal civil lawsuit. Landers began using specialized software programs to delete his personal email communications with Wells that were sought under subpoena while both men acquired new cell phones used exclusively for discussing how best they could hide relevant information responsive to subpoenas or deposition notices issued by Company A’s legal team. They also testified falsely under oath during depositions about whether they shared documents related specifically towards those mentioned within issued RFPs along when last communicating via WhatsApp amongst other means.

If convicted both defendants face up five years imprisonment each within federal penitentiaries across America due charges brought forth against them herein above described

This case is being investigated by Federal Bureau Investigation Memphis Field Office alongside Nashville Resident Agency personnel involved throughout proceedings thus far conducted alongside Assistant U.S Attorneys Taylor J Phillips M Scott Cole prosecuting respective parties accused crimes committed thereof

An indictment/information merely constitutes accusation whereby all individuals remain presumed innocent unless proven guilty beyond reasonable doubt through due judicial processes followed thereafter accordingly

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