A business partner of former Southern Miss and NFL quarterback Brett Favre has owned up to his role in the largest welfare scandal in Mississippi history.
Jacob VanLandingham, the founder of pharmaceutical company Prevacus, pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud in federal court on Wednesday due to his business illegally obtaining $2.2 million intended to go to impoverished Mississippians through the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program.
VanLandingham’s company was in the process of developing a pair of concussion drugs when Prevacus received the seven-figure sum from the federal program under the guidance of the state’s human services department. None of the drugs ever made it to market.
While Prevacus was raking in the welfare funds between December 2018 and August 2019, Favre was serving as the company’s spokesperson and its largest individual investor, though the former gun-slinger maintains his innocence despite wide criticism over his alleged involvement in the welfare scandal. At this time, Favre is not facing any criminal charges.
According to court documents, VanLandingham is accused of pitching the idea that he would use the money he received from the TANF program to continue developing the pharmaceutical treatments for concussions, when in reality, he had ulterior motives — to pocket a “material amount” of the cash for personal use.
“I applaud federal prosecutors for their continued work on this case,” an official statement from State Auditor Shad White reads. “I’m grateful for my team at the Auditor’s office and the FBI for digging up the facts related to this case. We will continue to assist federal prosecutors as needed going forward.”
VanLandinham has since bonded out at $10,000 and will be sentenced at a later date. One count of wire fraud carries a maximum sentence of 20 years behind bars.
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