Four years ago (time flies when you’re having fun!) we blogged the saga of Thomas Noe, the power broker who parlayed his relationships with highly-place politicos into lucrative contracts with the Ohio workers comp bureau. The state invested $50 million of comp funds in his coin business. Unfortunately, Noe’s inventory of coins and his tracking of the funds fell short of bookkeeping standards. He was convicted on both federal and state charges. The “Coingate” scandal brought down some heavy hitters, including the governor.
In an article in the Columbus Dispatch by Mark Niquette and Joe Hallet, Noe outlines his next moves.
“God has a plan for me, and what I’m going to do (is) I’m going to make the best of my time in Hocking {Correctional Facility],” he says. Much of his time is tied up in his appeal, which is wending its way to the Illinois Supreme Court, where he subliminally hopes the judges remember him fondly: last time around, five of the seven judges removed themselves from a previous case because they had taken campaign contributions from the ever-generous Noe.
His appeal appears to be based upon a technicality: “Believe me, I’m not sitting here saying I didn’t make mistakes. I made a lot of mistakes. I’m just saying I’m not guilty, in my opinion, of what they said I’m guilty of.”
To put it mildly, the prosecutors aren’t buying Noe’s claiming of innocence.
Assistant Lucas County Prosecutor John Weglian says: “He’s a liar.”
“There isn’t a single embezzler in the history of embezzling, I think, who has not intended to pay the money back,” Weglian said. “They all say that. … He’s a salesman; he’s trying to market himself.” (With all due respect, Mr. Weglian, Bernie Madoff knew all along he was never going to pay people back.)
Accentuate the Positive
For the disgraced Noe, the marketing options from a jail cell are clearly limited. But Noe prides himself on being a positive person.
“I’ve always said a negative thought’s a down payment on failure. I’m not going to fail. I’m not going to fail on the outside. I’m not going to fail as a prisoner.”
One might argue that Noe’s conviction on multiple charges of corruption was a failure on the outside, and that his prospects for success from the “inside” are remote. But as Noe says, it’s just part of God’s plan – a plan, at the moment, that calls for another decade or so in Hocking. The former high roller used to enjoy steaks and cabernet at the best restaurants in Ohio. His current fare falls rather dramatically short of that standard, but, heck, it’s free and there’s no tipping.
It would be nice to think that if he ever gets another opportunity to make business decisions on the outside, Noe will have learned how to say “no way” to the Noe Way. I’m not exactly holding my breath.
Tags: crime, Ohio, Thomas Noe
