COLUMBUS, Ohio AP Before Lance Poulsen can fight charges that he was the mastermind behind a $1.9 billion fraud scheme, the former CEO of National Century Financial must first deal with allegations that he proposed paying a government witness $500,000 to lie on the stand.

The federal witness tampering trial of the former owner of National Century, a health care financing company, was scheduled to begin Monday. Once that trial ends, Poulsen faces a second trial in August on multiple counts of conspiracy, wire and securities fraud and money laundering.