11/20/2020
Local and federal law enforcement, working in conjunction, spent years investigating large-scale narcotics traffickers in an effort that ultimately brought down the money-laundering ring.
According to court documents, beginning around 2013 and continuing until September 2019, the defendants conspired to distribute heroin, fentanyl and marijuana and commit large-scale money laundering.
The schemes relied on the use of small businesses that held themselves out as cell phone stores. The stores sold few, if any, cell phones, and they conducted little, if any, legitimate business otherwise. Rather, the stores were merely front businesses for drug traffickers to send large amounts of money related to their drug trafficking from Columbus to Mexico.
Kris Tripplaar/Sipa USA
Centene Corp. criticized the Ohio attorney general for lacking a basic understanding of the state s $26 billion Medicaid program, claiming he wasted taxpayer time and money accusing Centene of overcharging the state by millions in drug costs. There are no secrets here; there is nothing that needs to be hidden or, in fact, that even justifies the filing of this lawsuit, Centene wrote in a federal court filing in Ohio on Friday.
In March, Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost sued Centene, alleging its Buckeye Health Plan subsidiary used a web of subcontractors to obscure drug costs and fleece the state s Medicaid program out of millions of dollars in pharmacy benefits. The suit was filed in the Franklin County Court of Common Pleas and is sealed.
Federal Law Challenges by State Attorneys General
Attorneys General Challenge “Tax Mandate” Portion of American Rescue Plan
On March 11, 2021, President Joe Biden signed into law the $1.9 trillion “American Rescue Plan Act of 2021” that provided funding for numerous programs in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The legislation provides the states billions of dollars. Under a provision of the plan known as the “Tax Mandate,” states are barred from using the money to “directly or indirectly” offset tax cuts or reduce taxes.
Shortly after the law was enacted, Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost filed a preliminary injunction in federal court seeking to enjoin the provision. According to the complaint, the conditions contained in the federal legislation present the states with the option of either accepting the stimulus funds or rejecting the money and keeping “their sovereign authority to set tax policy.” The complaint alleges the provision violates the Spending Clau