TROUBLES ABOUND AT VAN BUREN COUNTY SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT

What would Barney Fife do about all the shenanigans going on at the Van Buren County Sheriff's Department? 

We all know the answer. He would nip them in the bud.

Apparently that is more than Sheriff Scott Bradley can or wants to do.

SCOTT BRADLEY - VAN BUREN COUNTY SHERIFF

 

Last month television station KATV ran a story about the latest  embarrassing situation for Sheriff Bradley and the citizens of Van Buren County.

On a segment of their evening newscast on February 27th they reported that Bradley was tightening up his hiring procedures in response to questions asked by Seven-On-Your-Side. This was after a questionable and short-lived hire where many red flags were missed on the applicant’s resume.

  

Sheriff Bradley hired Derrick Hannah as a part time jailer. Hannah applied for a position in November 2016 and was subsequently hired.  

DERRICK N. HANNAH - FIRED FOR FALSE INFORMATION ON HIS APPLICATION FOR EMPLOYMENT

We were not able to obtain Hannah's dates of employment, but Randy Murray, a Van Buren County Deputy and Jail Administrator told us that he only worked five shifts before his employment was terminated.

RANDY MURRY - JAIL ADMINISTRATOR

Hannah stated on his application for employment that he was a volunteer with the Burnt Ridge Fire Department and that he had been a student the University of Central Arkansas and that he had a degree from Arkansas State University-Beebe.

KATV found that Hannah made false statements regarding his education and other information.




Hannah's current Facebook page contains some bogus information as well.

Notice that he claims he is associated with the Clinton Area Fire & Rescue.  Sound plausible?

Only if he lived in St. John, Michigan.

KATV reached out Sheriff Bradley after they received information from a female that did not want to be identified, but had some alarming information about Hannah.

She had been in a relationship with Hannah and she alleged that he sodomized her against her will.  She filed a complaint in August 2016.

This female also expressed concerns that Hannah had improper contact with her daughter.  A report of this nature, under Arkansas laws, requires the Van Buren County Sheriff's Department to forward a complaint to the Arkansas State Police, Crimes Against Children Division.  

It is not clear that they did so, but the report of the incident states, "No further action taken", which leads us to believe that the did in fact not make the required referral.

KATV used a portion of her handwritten statement in their story and while we obtained an un-redacted copy of the statement and report we will not reveal her identity.

If this was not bad enough, a second female also filed a complaint about Hannah.

As in the previous instance,  there was no further action beyond taking a report.

These types of incidents would not show up in a background check run on Hannah prior to his employment.  All  that the background check entails is running his name and fingerprints through the Arkansas State Police and the FBI for criminal convictions.

But to not run an applicants name through your own database seems incredible.

After all, the position that Hannah obtained is a critical one.  Jailers that lack honesty and character can smuggle contraband into the jail and some have been known to have sexual relations with prisoners. In fact we have written about this in previous posts.

http://badgovernmentinarkansas.blogspot.com/2016/08/department-of-corrections-places-inmate.html

http://badgovernmentinarkansas.blogspot.com/2016/09/faulkner-county-dentention-officer.html

Then in December 2016, while Hannah was still employed at the jail, another report came in about him.  This time it was alleged that he had drugged a female.  The report was filed by the alleged victim's father and the investigation by the Van Buren County Sheriff's Office did not progress much past a report of the incident just like the other previous complaints.

Hannah also failed to mention on his application for employment that he had been arrested and appeared in court for a hot check charge.

The Office of Child Support Enforcement also went after Hannah, in the same time frame, to collect child support for his son that had been placed into foster care. Why the child was placed into state custody is unknown as why Hannah was not considered fit to have custody of his child? 

The incident with Hannah is not the first time jail employees have garnished attention.

Last August, at the same time the complaints about Hannah were coming in, Greyson Cooper, a jailer at the Van Buren County Jail fed soap to prisoners.

GREYSON CLAY COOPER - FIRED FOR FEEDING SOAP TO INMATES

The soap was key lime pie flavored and was in a wrapper that gave the appearance

APPARENTLY THE SAMPLE VERSION THAT WAS GIVEN TO THE PRISONERS AS A PRANK DOES NOT CONTAIN WORDING ON THE FRONT OF THE WRAPPER THAT IDENTIFIES IT AS SOAP AS DOES THE FULL SIZE RETAIL VERSION (ABOVE)

Sheriff Bradley tried to down-play the incident.

But a story that appeared in The Voice of Van Buren County just a few days later stated that the jailer had been fired.

CLICK TO VIEW THE FOX 16 NEW REPORT OF THE INCIDENT

Then there is the mysterious death of Dustin Lee. Stay tuned for that story in Part 2.

DEPARTMENT OF WORKFORCE SERVICES DISCOVERS VIRUS IN SYSTEM AND FAILS TO FOLLOW LAW TO PROVIDE REQUIRED NOTIFICATIONS

You can read this post on our blog about the Arkansas Department of Workforce Services.

http://badarkdws.blogspot.com/2017/03/dws-discovers-virus-in-system-and-fails.html

ARKANSAS LOTTERY DIRECTOR GIVES BAD ADVICE TO RETAILERS

 

LOTTERY DIRECTOR BISHOP WOOSLEY SPEWS SOME BAD ADVICE

Arkansas Lottery Director Bishop Woosley gave some bad advice to Arkansas retailers that might result in their losing their ability to process credit and debit card transaction.

While discussing SB617, in which a retailer may choose whether to accept cash and "noncash, noncredit methods of payment, including ... debit cards or other electronic transfer of funds of the consumer to the retailer", Woosley told reporters that retailers could set a minimum purchase amount.

Woosley should have kept his mouth shut. 

Retailers that attempt to require a minimum purchase for customers that want to use their debit or check card to purchase lottery tickets or any other item are violating conditions VISA and Mastercard have established for processing debit and check card transactions.

CLICK TO VIEW VISA'S CARD PROCESSING AGREEMENT DETAILS

The Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act signed into law in December 2010 only permits retailers to set a minimum fee for Credit Card purchases, not debit or check card purchases.

SB617 would bar buying tickets with in-store credit, credit cards, charge cards or any form of deferred payment.

***********

The Motely Fool has published an informative article about debt card trtransaction requirement and you can read it here.

FORMER FAULKNER COUNTY SHERIFF'S DEPUTY FOUND GUILTY OF BATTERY ON INDIVIDUAL THAT WAS WORKING UNDERCOVER FOR CONWAY POLICE DEPARTMENT

EX-DEPUTY EUGENE WATLINGTON

 
Special Judge Mark Derrick found a former Faulkner County sheriff's deputy, Eugene Watlington, who was fired for using "excessive force" during an arrest in 2015, guilty of third-degree battery on Friday March 10th. 

Derrick set sentencing for Watlington for 1 p.m. April 7th in Faulkner County District Court.

Third-degree battery is a Class A misdemeanor, punishable in Arkansas by up to one year in jail and a fine of up to $2,500

Derrick, a White County judge appointed to hear the case after Faulkner County's district judges recused, heard testimony in the case Feb. 24th. 


 

JUDGE MARK DERRICK

Derrick's name might sound familiar, the reason being he was attacked by a pet zebra back in 2015 and the story gained international attention.  
  
JUDGE ATTACKED BY PET ZEBRA

Evidence in the trial included a video showing Watlington repeatedly kicking Harvey Martin, who was being arrested after a gunfire-heavy, high-speed chase from Mayflower to Conway on May 4, 2015. Watlington was not helping secure Martin at the time.

 

Martin, 47, was treated at a hospital's emergency room and released to the sheriff's office.

Authorities later dropped charges related to the car chase against Martin after they learned his passenger, Christopher Cummings, had forced Martin to flee the police at gunpoint. The arrest of Cummings, who fired the shots at deputies' cars, was not captured on the video, recorded on a Mayflower police officer's body camera.

Derrick released his verdict in a two-sentence letter sent to the district court, Short and the case's special prosecutor, Tom Tatum.

TOM TATUM

"After considering all the evidence presented I find the Defendant guilty of Battery in the 3rd Degree," Derrick wrote. He then set the April 7 sentencing date.

The letter offered no comment on the decision, though Derrick had said at the end of the trial that he wanted to watch the video again before ruling.

Tatum said late Friday that the ruling was "what I expected."

"I felt like ... the biggest piece of evidence in the case was the video," Tatum said.

The Mayflower officer, Dalton Elliott, filmed the arrest after he joined Faulkner County deputies in chasing the Mustang carrying Martin and Cummings at speeds of more than 100 mph. 

Authorities have since said Martin was working undercover for Conway police the night of the arrest, though sheriff's deputies apparently didn't realize that at the time.

 

OFFICER DALTON ELLIOTT RECORDED WATLINGTON KICKING MARTIN

Watch a video of Officer Elliot being interviewed by Faulkner County Sheriff's Department. 

There is some bad blood between the Faulkner County Sheriff's Office and Elliot in that he once worked for them and was fired and has since filed a lawsuit against them.  CLICK TO VIEW THE COMPLAINT

There was no reason whatsoever for them to Marandize Elliot.  Shit move by the FCSO.  

Former Sheriff Andy Shock fired Watlington in July 2015 after Shock concluded Watlington had used excessive force during the arrest.

Elliott testified last month that he counted "nine to 10 times" that the 6-foot-1 Watlington, who weighed 310 pounds according to his arrest warrant, kicked Martin with his boot.

Glen Cooper, a Conway police officer, testified that Martin was trying to help police locate Cummings that night. Cooper said Watlington asked him to question Martin after the arrest because Watlington said Martin wouldn't want to talk with him. Watlington then smiled and shined a flashlight on one of his boots, Cooper said.

Elliott testified that Martin did not resist arrest, but three sheriff's deputies disputed that statement. They testified that Martin tried to keep his hands under his waistband and could have been trying to get his pocketknife.



Watch a pitiful video of Martin being interviewed by authorities while in the hospital.

Watch Martin being interview at the Faulkner County Sheriff's Department.

Watch a second, follow-up interview with Martin.

Watlington made a plea on social media for letters about his character to try and get his job back at the Sheriff's Department before his trial for battery began.

 
We have requested Watlington's file from the Arkansas Commission on Law Enforcement Standards & Training and will post an update when the information is received.

 

PULASKI COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE EMPLOYEE CHARGED WITH STEALING INMATE FUNDS

Anna Story, who will shortly be a former employee of the Pulaski County jail, was arrested Monday on accusations she stole thousands of dollars from inmate accounts, authorities said.

WHEN INMATES DID NOT CLAIM FUNDS THEY HAD ON THEM WHEN THEY WERE ARRESTED AFTER BEING RELEASED FROM JAIL, STORY WROTE CHECKS TO INMATES THEN FORGED THEIR SIGNATURES TO ENDORSE THEM OVER TO HER SO SHE COULD DEPOSIT OR CASH THE CHECKS.

According to records filed in Little Rock District Court, Story, 62, of Cabot was charged with one count of theft of property involving more than $5,000 and less than $25,000 (Class C Felony), 66 counts of forgery (also Class C Felonies) and 66 counts of computer fraud (also Class C Felonies).

She was booked into the Pulaski County Jail where she's worked for more than eight years Monday March 6th and released the next morning after posting bail.
 

Pulaski County sheriff's office spokesman Lt. Cody Burk said inmates are issued checks for money remaining in their accounts when they are discharged. If those funds aren't claimed within 90 days, the money goes back into the jail's account.

That process seems to be illegal conversion or theft of mislaid property by the Pulaski County Sheriff's Department. These unclaimed funds should be deposited into a escrow type account and if not claimed be subsequently turned over to the Arkansas State Auditor as unclaimed property.  

That will be something to remember the next time a Sheriff is to be elected in Pulaski County.

LT. CODY BURK HAVING SOME FUN BEFORE STORY WAS ARRESTED

"She was taking that money at that point," Burk said. 

Burk said Story has been placed on administrative leave without pay.

Story's scheme came to light on February 2, 2017, when Pulaski County Sheriff's Office investigators were informed about money missing from a previous inmate's account. During their investigation of the jail's Inmate Finance Unit, they discovered the county's computer system was accessed and used to print 66 checks between the dates of April 12, 2016, to February 14, 2017, in various inmates' names. They discovered that the total amount taken by Story was $18,228.12.

SKETCHY FORT SMITH JUDGE ACKNOWLEDGES CONTINUING RELATIONSHIP WITH METH USING PROSTITUTE

FT. SMITH DISTRICT JUDGE JIM O'HERN AND HIS SKANKY SQUEEZE

We previously posted about the mess Fort Smith District Judge Jim O'Hern has gotten himself into with Brandie Cannon/Gibson, an "escort" that he met in a hamburger joint in Fayetteville.

http://badgovernmentinarkansas.blogspot.com/2016/12/fort-smith-judge-elect-involved-in.html

http://badgovernmentinarkansas.blogspot.com/2017/01/more-details-surface-in-judge-jim-ohern.html

Apparently, Jimbo did not mean what he told Little Rock Police detectives back on December 2016 when he was arrested with Cannon/Gibson.

Cannon/Gibson admitted to LRPD detectives that the meth found in their hotel room was hers.

Gibson's plead not guilty back in December 2016 and her case should have already progressed to Circuit Court. 

We asked Pulaski County Prosecuting Attorney Chief Deputy John Johnson why Gibon's case was languishing at District Court when she plead not guilty, his response was, "I can't comment on it, it's a pending case".

JOHN JOHNSON - CHIEF DEPUTY PROSECUTING ATTORNEY

We also asked if his office had worked out a deal for Gibson to testify against Judge O'Hern in some type of plea bargain arrangement (which might explain why the case against her has not moved forward).  Johnson, gave us the same response, no comment on a pending case.

GIBSON PERFORMS ORAL SEX ON A STUFFED BEAR IN A NOW REMOVED FACEBOOK PHOTO

Judge O'Hern is currently involved in a divorce case with his third wife. From court filings in a case involving his first wife, he appears to have been a deadbeat dad and did not want to pay medical expenses for his son.