Geron Tate agrees to pay nearly $1.6M in restitution to Medicaid
Geron Tate has agreed to pay nearly $1.6 million to the Ohio Department of Medicaid as part of his guilty plea.
The prominent leader in Mansfield's Black community pleaded guilty Wednesday in a Medicaid-related theft case involving more than $900,000. The News Journal obtained a copy of his plea form.
Tate, 66, agreed to pay back $1,572,386.21 to Medicaid. He pleaded guilty to aggravated theft, a second-degree felony, and Medicaid fraud, a third-degree felony.
In the plea form, Tate said he knows there is a presumption of a prison sentence for the second-degree felony. According to the form, the counts would merge for sentencing purposes, meaning Tate could receive up to an eight-year sentence.
He will be sentenced Nov. 2 in Richland County Common Pleas Court by Judge Brent Robinson.
Tate is the former president and CEO of Mansfield UMADAOP, which stands for Urban Minority Alcoholism & Drug Abuse Outreach Program. UMADAOP offers a path to drug and alcohol abuse recovery through individualized treatment plans, as well as prevention services.
Current executive editor: UMADAOP not involved in charges
Dennis Baker, the current executive director, said Tate has not been with the local agency since 2007.
"UMADAOP has nothing to do with these charges," Baker said. "The charges that are being referenced are on him."
The time frame for both offenses was June 30, 2015, to July 22, 2021.
In the aggravated theft count, Tate "with purpose to deprive the owner of property, to wit: funds from the Ohio Department of Medicaid Benefits Program, did knowingly obtain or exert control over the property by deception." The value of the property was more than $750,000.
In the Medicaid fraud count, Tate submitted false claims to the Ohio Department of Medicaid Benefits Program. The value of that property was more than $150,000.
He pleaded guilty to a bill of information, meaning his case would not be presented to a grand jury for consideration.
According to his LinkedIn profile, Tate is president and CEO of G. Tate and Associates, an outpatient drug and alcohol treatment organization.
The case is being handled by the health care fraud section of the Ohio Attorney General's office, which did not respond to a News Journal request for more information.
Columbus attorney John Waddy, who is representing Tate, declined comment.
Tate is a former president of local NAACP
Tate served as president of the local branch of the NAACP for two years, from 2016 to 2018. He also is a life member of the NAACP, joining in 2013.
He grew up in Mansfield and attended Mansfield City Schools. Tate graduated from Ohio Wesleyan University with a bachelor's degree in political science and from the Methodist Theological School in Ohio with a master's degree in counseling.
Tate most recently was in the news when the city announced the Ocie Hill Neighborhood Center would close. He was a prominent critic, calling the decision a "terrible idea" because of the services Ocie Hill provides for the community.
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This article originally appeared on Mansfield News Journal: Prominent member of Mansfield's Black community to make restitution
