Tulsa World from Tulsa, Oklahoma • 6

A 6 riday April 1 2016 SHERI ROM Al or conspired to commit ex tortion through threats The second count claims that Colbert and Gragg received a bribe or in the alternative committed extortion through threats a third count alleges that they com mitted extor tion through threats Gragg initi ated a traffic stop of a ve hicle driven by 'orel I Wallace and a 17 year old passenger at US 69 and 80th Road about pm on Dec 13 2014 according to the in dictment conducted a search of the vehicle in which lie found $10000 in cash of which Wallace and the pas senger both claimed owner a news release from Attorney General Scott Pruitt states and the passenger were arrested for possession of drug proceeds After being taken to the Wagoner County Jail Colbert and Gragg ac cepted a bribe from Wallace and the passenger when Wai 1 lace disclaimed any interest in the cash hey were then released and their records were deleted The cash was placed in a Sheriff's Drug orfeiture account with the Wagoner County Office" The indictment states that Wallace told Gragg he was on parole and asked' him what he needed to do to stay out of jail and that Gragg told him the only way he would be free that day was to disclaim ownership of the $10000 It additionally alleges that once Wallace did so Colbert told Wagoner County deten tion officers to stop booking process and delete his records from the system The grand jury recom mended removal based on counts of extor tion willful neglect of duty and failure to produce and account for all public funds in his hands at a settlement required by law according to the release The accusation for removal indicates that Colbert ne glected his official duty when participating in the bribe with Gragg and extorting Wallace and the teenager Colbert and Gragg could face up to 25 years in prison each and be ordered to pay fines of tip to $10 ()()() Wag oner County Assistant Dis trict Attorney Jack Thorp said Thursday afternoon that a warrant had been issued for Colbert's arrest Jail records show both were booked into the Wagoner County Jail with bail for each set at $10000 on Thursday evening Colbert was released around 7:30 pan Thorp said the District At torney's Office cannot rep resent Colbert in the case which the grand jury states will be tried in Wagoner County Michon Hughes Colbert's attorney said her client would not be available for comment In an emailed statement Thursday afternoon Hughes maintained that the accusa tions against her client are politically motivated and said the indictments come from a routine drug interdiction "The basis for this inter diction as reported includes the accusation of deleted re cords That accusation can not be supported at fl Gragg 'The basis for this interdiction as reported includes the accusation of deleted records That accusation cannot be supported at trial' Michon 1 Inglies Attorney for Wagoner County Shcritf Bob Colbert W'i We want to make you a loan! Loans from $150 $1ff70 I 918 743 2333 iULMW0HlDC0M Read the documents See the warrants indictments and accusation for removal from office related to a grand jury in vestigation into Wagoner County Sheriff Bob Colbert tulsaworldcom Hughes said are look ing forward to being released from the gag order such that we can release the counter evidence exonerating Sheriff Colbert are so sad for the Sher iff (Attorney) Gary James my husband Clint Hastings and 1 will all continue to fight to clear his she said Additionally the jurors pointed to an instance of what they say is fail ure to properly produce and account for all public funds The Oklahoma State Auditor and Inspector asked Colbert in April 2015 to account for $2500 he received from the Wagoner County Office for undercover opera tions on Oct 22 2011 but the jurors stated that he was un able to account for $440 of that money Hughes said none of the $2500 which she said Col bert's office deposited in a timely fashion is missing The Tulsa World in Au gust reported on the results of an audit into the Wag oner County Office which also revealed that Col bert spent more than $7000 in self promotion expenses which the audit deemed an abuse of county funds Documents the World ob tained from the Wagoner Tri bune a partner newspaper show Wagoner County au thorized an expense of more than $4500 to get hats and medallions engraved with Colbert's name as well as customized coloring books In a July 1 2015 news con ference Colbert denied alle gations of misconduct com mitted by either him or his staff telling reporters that pisses me that peo ple who are upset with him would help the media his agency no time have I ever used county funds or anything for my personal Colbert said that day An anonymous letter that claimed Colbert had com mitted wrongdoing was dis tributed to local media last spring It included accusations that Colbert falsified his Council on Law Enforcement Education and Training con tinuing education records The CIEET rclatcd accusa tions were not mentioned in the indictment In June CLEET requested that the Oklahoma State bu reau of Investigation exam ine whether Colbert had fal sified continuing education records or ordered deputies to sign him in to classes he did not attend The sheriff has denied those allegations ami the OSBI investigation is still open Colbert and Gragg are still listed as certified peace offi cers by CLEET Samantha Vicent 918 581 8321 samanthavicenttulsaworldcom Tulsa World Health care cuts State medical group urges doctors to consider leaving Medicaid over 25 percent rate cut BY BARBARA HOBEROCK World Capitol Bureau OKLAHOMA CITY Oklahoma State Medical As sociation leaders have voted Li largest health insurer the' Oklahoma Health Care Au thority underpins the entire fabric of the health care system that serves all Oklahomans worry about the infra structure of our health care system in light of these cuts rom a business standpoint afraid many providers will close their doors to our Meanwhile the Okla homa Association of Health unanimously to urge mem bers to consider dropping out of Medicaid The association's execu tive committee took the unanimous vote on Wednes day following an announce ment earlier in the week by the Oklahoma 'Health Care Authority that Medic aid rates could be cut by as much as 25 percent effective June 1 Oklahoma state officials The Oklahoma Health Care Authority is proposing a 25 per Care Providers which rep cent cut in payments to medical providers who treat Oklahoma's Medicaid patients PAUL SOUTHERLANDThe Oklahoman file resents skilled nursing fa cilities said the cuts would quiring state appropriated agencies to make cuts The Oklahoma Health Care Authority is the Medicaid agency are fully aware this will create an accc to care crisis for rural resi dents vulnerable sm is the disabled and the i lu ly faced with losing money ev ery time they saw a Medic aid patient Jenkins said situation is sim ply unsustainable for most med 1 practices and will end uger many rural health care he said He lid the association in coming days will be offering create a crisis for Oklahoma seniors and threaten to dis mantle the network of nursing homes proposed cuts would essentially gut the profes sion that cares for Okla most vulnerable said Tandie Hast ings OAHCP board presi dent a 25 percent cut 93 expect to have $13 billion less to craft a fiscal year 2017 budget' due to depressed energy prices tax cuts and failure to address a number of tax incentives and credits the state grants in an effort to generate economic activ ity or the current fiscal year 60 percent of Oklahoma babies born under Medic said OSMA President Woody Jenkins a 25 percent rate cut combined with previous cuts that had already been made in recent years will leave many of our members with little If rates are cut by 25 per guidance on its website for doctors on how to opt out of the Medicaid program The Oklahoma Health Care Authority contracts with 46129 providers do not take these cuts said Oklahoma Health Care Authority CEO Nico Gomez in a news re percent of our facilities will be operating at a loss every single day That is unsus tainable and the result will be mass closure of nursing homes When that happens a lot of seniors and disabled individuals will be out of op tions for receiving the state has seen a deep cent many of the associa lease announcing the pos Barbara Hoberock 405 528 2465 ening revenue failure re members would be sible cuts the barbarahoberocktuisaworidcom This is NO April Joke Come freshen up your house with cool stuff from local designers and boutiques riday April 1st 3310 South Birmingham Avenue Upscale furniture custom pillows tables dishes art work chairs holiday ddcor accessories mirrors and lamps CASH ONLY BRAINSTORMING Nico Gomez: The Oklahoma Health Care Au thority CEO Gov Mary allin and others asked his agency to come up with proposals to help stabilize the state's Medicaid system STATE ROM Al that has been rejected by the state of Oklahoma The proposal comes as a Senate panel rejected a bill to remove 110000 people from the state Medicaid pro gram and the state agency that administers Medicaid announced that it is consid ering cuts of up to 25 per cent for medical providers in the program The state is experiencing a revenue failure for the cur 'X '07 1 i Oklahomans who are cur rently uninsured and not in the Medicaid program Go mez said It would cost the state $100 million which would be matched with federal dollars rent fiscal year and expects to have $13 billion less in the fiscal year 2017 budget Oklahoma Health Care Authority CEO Nico Go mez said Gov Mary allin and others asked his agency to come up with proposals to help stabilize the The proposal also calls for moving some clients of SooncrCarc the Medicaid program to the private health insurance market Those members would be eligible for federal tax credits called advanced premium tax credits to sup Medicaid system The Health Care Authority is the Medicaid agency Gomez met with legisla tive leaders and others on Thursday to discuss the pro posal dubbed the Rebalancing Act of The plan calls for creat ing a new Insure Oklahoma program option for state residents who are currently uninsured according to the agency Created about a decade ago Insure Oklahoma pro vides subsidized insurance The expansion would cover port the premium costs Go mez said will have the re sponsibility to pay for pre miums or whatever co pay ment's are he said The change would move 175000 pregnant women and children to private in surance plans and 'save the state $60 million officials said Gomez reiterated that the plan is not an expansion of Medicaid are talking about adults 19 to 64 years old who have incomes below 133 percent of the federal poverty level They would pay premi ums based on a sliding scale tied to income Gomez said It would insure 175000 amimg I WORLD'S LARGEST ARMS SHOW I Quicker entry from Vale Ave Gate 8 1 by Ball Park TiilsaArmsShowcom Ig shrinking the size of Sooner Care and increasing Insure Gomez said is no net increase to the plan would use fed eral funds that other states have used to expand Medic aid but instead of expanding Medicaid Oklahoma would create a private said Gene Perry Oklahoma Poli cy Institute policy director idea was first tried in Arkansas and has been sub sequently adopted in several other Perry contin ued private option has been successful at dra matically reducing the un insured rate while restrain ing the growth of Medicaid House Speaker Jeff Hick man airview said the proposal is at a Medicaid expansion adding that the House would not support a plan that would add to the number of people on Medicaid A lot of the details of Go plan have yet to be worked out Hickman said While Gomez said earlier this week that the Oklaho ma Health Care Authority is considering the possibil ity that it might have to cut Medicaid provider rates by up to 25 percent the pro posal announced Thursday calls for stabilizing provider rates and bringing them upto at least 86 percent of the Medicare fee schedule Such a move would reduce the amount of uncompensated care for hospitals and other providers Officials are considering a handful of financing op tions that could make that possible including increas ing the tax on cigarettes by $150 per package and a fee assessed to health insurance providers we are not able to stabi lize the provider rates then we are not going to have a very effective health care delivery Gomez said are going to have a very damaged health care delivery Barbara Hoberock 405 528 2465 barbarahoberocktulsaworldconr MAnnSBROTHERScom TULSA 6611 1QT1 East Ave SOLID WOOD QUEEN BED modernSTYLE rustic charm 0 1 855 294 3434 MON RHO 9 SAT 9 9 SUN 11 7 riy af'y 4 A zx: mk rt 1 M'S OKLAHOMA CITY 3434 Reno Ave MATHIS SSBSl I 1 I Wai I $597 IK I I rr 4WV SOLID WOOD Royal inance MATHISBROTHERScom.