Former Arkansas State Senator and Two Others Charged with Bribery and Fraud Scheme
Jonathan E. Woods, 39, a former Arkansas state senator, along with Oren Paris III, 49, a college president, and Randell G. Shelton Jr., 37, a consultant, have been charged with bribery and fraud scheme in a 12-count indictment.
According to the indictment, Woods used his official position as a senator to appropriate and direct government money, known as General Improvement Funds (GIF), to two non-profit entities between 2013 and 2015.
The indictment alleges that Woods received bribes from officials at both non-profits, including Paris, who was the president of a college, in exchange for directing a total of approximately $600,000 in GIF money to the non-profits.
Paris paid a portion of the GIF money to Shelton’s consulting company to pay and conceal the kickbacks to Woods and another legislator, Micah Neal, who pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit honest services fraud in 2017.
The charges and allegations contained in an indictment are merely accusations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
The FBI and the Internal Revenue Service investigated the case, and trial attorneys Sean Mulryne of the Criminal Division’s Public Integrity Section, U.S. Attorney Elser, and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kyra Jenner and Ben Wulff of the Western District of Arkansas are prosecuting the case.
Anyone with information regarding public corruption can contact the FBI in Little Rock through their public corruption hotline at 501-221-8200.
Related Federal Cases
- Arkansas Senator Sentenced to 18 Years for Bribery Scheme · Illinois
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Key Facts
- State: Arkansas
- Category: Public Corruption
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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