Other defendants in corruption inquiry

Other former government and business leaders charged in the five-year federal investigation into political corruption in Arkansas and Missouri.

1. Former state Rep. Micah Neal, R-Springdale: Pleaded guilty Jan. 4, 2017, to one count of conspiracy to commit honest services, mail and wire fraud in connection with taking kickbacks for directing state grants to private Ecclesia College of Springdale and a Bentonville nonprofit owned by Preferred Family Healthcare's predecessor. Sentenced Sept. 18, 2018, to three years' probation and one-year house arrest.

2. Former state Sen. Jon Woods, R-Springdale: Pleaded innocent March 3, 2017, to 17 counts of wire fraud, mail fraud and money laundering. Accused of taking kickbacks and using his legislative position to approve more than $600,000 in state grants to Ecclesia College and behavioral health firm Decision Point. May 3, 2018: Jury found Woods guilty of 15 felony counts. Sentenced to 18 years, four months in prison, $1.6 million in restitution, $1 million forfeiture of assets. Now in federal prison in Fort Worth. Appealing his conviction.

3. Randell Shelton Jr., Ecclesia College consultant, friend of Jon Woods: Pleaded innocent March 3, 2017, to wire and mail fraud charges related to channeling kickback money from Ecclesia to Woods and Neal. May 3, 2018: Jury found him guilty of 12 federal corruption-related counts. Sentenced to six years in prison, three years of probation and $660,698 in restitution. Serving time at low-security Beaumont, Texas, federal prison unit. Appealing conviction.

4. Oren Paris III, former Ecclesia College president: Pleaded innocent March 3, 2017, to wire and mail fraud with Woods and Shelton. April 3, 2018: Paris changed plea to conditional guilty, allowing him to appeal judge's decision not to dismiss charges. Sentenced to three years in prison, $621,500 in restitution, three years of supervised release. Currently in medium-security federal prison at Marion, Ill. Appealing his sentence.

5. David Carl Hayes, Springfield, Mo., accountant and former employee of Alternative Opportunities: Pleaded guilty June 12, 2017, in two fraud schemes, including embezzling $1.97 million from an arm of Preferred Family Healthcare's predecessor company between 2011 and 2014. The other scheme involved a separate private company. Died Nov. 20, 2017, apparent suicide.

6. Donald Andrew Jones, former Philadelphia lobbyist for Preferred Family Healthcare and its predecessor: Pleaded guilty Dec. 18, 2017, to one count of conspiracy. Admitted accepting $973,800 from Preferred Family between 2011 and 2016 for illegal political lobbying in Congress and elsewhere. Also accused of paying kickbacks to two Arkansas lobbyists, one later identified as Rusty Cranford. Sentenced Dec. 16 to one year and a day in federal prison, forfeiture of $973,807, three years supervised release. Not yet listed on federal prison bureau inmate locator.

7 . Milton "Rusty" Cranford, Preferred Family Healthcare's Arkansas executive and longtime lobbyist at state Capitol: Charged, jailed and pleaded innocent Feb. 20, 2018. Accused of nine counts of conspiracy and receiving bribes in connection with his work for Preferred Family and others to influence legislation. June 7, 2018: Cranford pleaded guilty to one count of federal program bribery. Sentenced Nov. 25 to seven years in prison, forfeiture of $3.73 million. Previously in a Missouri jail, not currently in federal prison custody, records show.

8. Keith Noble, former senior executive, Preferred Family Healthcare: Pleaded guilty Sept. 11, 2018, to one count of concealing knowledge of a felony in connection with schemes by four other top executives to divert money from the nonprofit to enrich themselves. In plea bargain, prosecutors agreed to Noble's request for a sentence of probation, along with paying $4.3 million in restitution. Awaits sentencing.

9. Marilyn Nolan, former CEO, Preferred Family Healthcare: Pleaded guilty Nov. 8, 2018, to one count of conspiracy in connection with working with other company executives and political lobbyists to bribe Arkansas lawmakers to influence laws and regulations to inflate Preferred Family's profits. Also admitted she and other executives stole millions from the nonprofit, including $4.1 million for herself. Awaits sentencing.

10. Former Sen. Jeremy Hutchinson, R-Little Rock: Indicted Aug. 30, 2018, and pleaded innocent to 12 counts of wire and tax fraud. Accused of misspending campaign donations and underreporting income. Indicted again March 29 and pleaded innocent to 12 more felony counts, accused of accepting bribes to influence Arkansas legislation and regulations favorable to Preferred Family Healthcare. Pleaded guilty June 24 and 25 to one count each in three federal judicial districts -- western and eastern Arkansas and western Missouri -- on charges including accepting bribes and tax fraud. Awaits sentencing.

11. Tom Goss, former chief financial officer, Preferred Family Healthcare: Indicted March 29 on 24 counts including conspiracy, bribery, theft, honest-services fraud, and aiding and assisting false tax returns. Pleaded innocent. Awaits trial.

12. Bontiea Goss, former chief operating officer, Preferred Family Healthcare: Indicted March 29, on 22 counts including conspiracy, bribery, theft, honest-services fraud, and aiding and assisting false tax returns. Pleaded innocent. Awaits trial.

13. Benjamin Burris, former Arkansas orthodontist: Charged Aug. 19 with 14 counts of honest-services wire fraud and one count of conspiracy to commit honest-services wire fraud. Accused of paying bribes to Hutchinson to pass laws Burris favored. Pleaded innocent. Awaits trial.

Metro on 12/26/2019