Former Tennessee Speaker of the House Glen Casada and his former Chief of Staff Cade Cothren have been sentenced to federal prison following convictions on charges including honest services wire fraud, conspiracy to commit money laundering, using a fictitious name to carry out a fraud, and money laundering. The announcement was made by Robert E. McGuire, Acting United States Attorney for the Middle District of Tennessee, and Matthew R. Galeotti, Acting Assistant Attorney General of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division.
Casada received a 36-month sentence in federal prison. Cothren was sentenced earlier to 30 months in federal prison.
“Tennesseans have a right to expect honest services from their elected leaders and their staffs,” said McGuire. “This prosecution, and the sentences ordered today, show our office’s steadfast commitment to seek justice on behalf of our community in cases involving public corruption and fraud. We believe that Tennesseans deserve no less.”
“The defendants abused their power as government officials and defrauded taxpayers for their own enrichment,” stated Galeotti. “The Criminal Division is committed to holding accountable those who betray public trust and steal from government coffers in order to line their own pockets.”
Special Agent in Charge Joe Carrico of the FBI Nashville Field Office commented: “In a betrayal of their duty to Tennesseans, Mr. Casada and Mr. Cothren violated the integrity of our government. Public corruption and fraud will not be tolerated in our community—no matter the position or names of the individuals involved. The sentences imposed today should serve as a wake-up call to other public officials who believe there are no consequences for betraying the public trust.”
According to evidence presented at trial, Casada stepped down as Speaker before conspiring with Cothren and Representative Robin Smith to defraud Tennessee through misuse of funds allocated under the State’s Postage and Printing Allowance (PPA). Each Representative could use up to $3,000 per year for constituent communications with required approvals from multiple state offices.
Cothren created an LLC called Phoenix Solutions intended for providing mailer services for Republican House members. To hide his involvement due to reputation concerns, he used a false identity—“Matthew Phoenix”—and recruited others into maintaining this deception when dealing with state officials.
Efforts included submitting fraudulent documentation, directing associates to pose as employees under assumed identities via email exchanges with state staffers, staging fake disputes between conspirators on the legislative floor, and pressuring administrative personnel responsible for payments.
Testimony indicated that if Cothren's involvement had been known by other legislators or state administrators, they would not have authorized business dealings or approved invoices submitted by Phoenix Solutions.
Once suspicions were raised within state offices regarding these invoices, both Casada and Smith leveraged their positions as sitting Representatives by contacting key staffers directly—including meeting with Connie Ridley (Director of Legislative Administration) personally—and attempting influence over payment processes.
Portions of more than $50,000 paid by the State were then kicked back from Cothren through personal consulting companies established by Casada and Smith specifically for this scheme.
Phoenix Solutions’ initial contracts served as leverage for further lucrative campaign work using similar deceptive practices; pseudonyms continued being used during outreach efforts aimed at securing caucus business within political circles.
Smith pleaded guilty previously in 2022 and testified during trial proceedings against her co-conspirators.
On September 9, 2025, U.S. District Judge Eli Richardson acquitted Casada on several counts but upheld convictions on conspiracy-related charges including honest services fraud and money laundering—fourteen counts total for Casada; sixteen counts for Cothren.
In addition to imprisonment terms: Casada must pay a $30,000 fine along with forfeiting $4,643.60; Cothren must pay a $25,000 fine. Both will also serve one year under supervised release after completing their sentences.
The case was investigated by the FBI Nashville Field Office with prosecution handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Taylor J. Phillips alongside Trial Attorneys John P. Taddei and Blake J. Ellison from the Justice Department’s Public Integrity Section.
