A former Tennessee prison official and a former executive at a private contractor face federal charges for allegedly conspiring to obstruct justice and commit perjury.
The charges stem from accusations that Wesley Landers, the former chief financial officer of the Tennessee Department of Correction, and Jeffrey Wells, a former vice president at Centurion of Tennessee, rigged a $123 million contract bid.
The case began with a 2020 lawsuit from Corizon, which claimed that Landers leaked internal Tennessee Department of Correction communications to Wells, including a draft proposal for a behavioral health care contract.
Centurion, which won the contract, then saw the contract value increased from $1 million to $118 million for a performance bond, making it difficult for Corizon to compete.
Prosecutors allege that Landers and Wells attempted to cover up their actions by deleting emails and lying during depositions. If convicted, they could face up to five years in prison.