Jacob Kade Holliday, Wire Fraud, Arkansas 2024

Little Rock, AR – In a shocking case of corruption, Jacob Kade Holliday, a 34-year-old former Craighead County Clerk, has been sentenced to 57 months in federal prison for committing wire fraud. Holliday, of Jonesboro, was found guilty of stealing $1,579,057.03 from the county for his personal use.

The scheme unfolded in June 2020, when Craighead County officials reported a theft from the Clerk’s office. An investigation revealed that the bank managing the county account had flagged suspicious activity, leading auditors to conclude that the missing funds had been transferred to Holliday’s personal banking accounts.

Holliday admitted to taking the money to fund his businesses, Holliday Development and Management, LLC, and Total Healthcare, LLC, which operated restaurants and coffee shops in Jonesboro. He claimed he planned to pay the money back but was unable to do so after the COVID-19 pandemic forced most of his businesses to close.

Holliday was indicted in December 2020 and charged with 11 counts of wire fraud for each withdrawal he made from the county account. He pleaded guilty in February of this year and acknowledged that his method was to make a transfer from the county account to one of his personal accounts and then get a cashier’s check from his personal account for the same amount.

In his plea agreement, Holliday agreed to pay $1,579,057.03 in restitution to Craighead County. Holliday is currently serving a 120-month sentence in a state case for forgery, and his federal sentence will not begin until the state sentence is completed.

The FBI, Arkansas State Police, and Craighead County Sheriff’s Department conducted the investigation. Assistant United States Attorney Allison W. Bragg prosecuted the case.

Holliday’s case serves as a stark reminder of the importance of accountability in public office. His actions not only damaged the trust of the citizens of Craighead County but also put a significant strain on the county’s finances.

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