Theodore E. Suhl, Bribery, Arkansas 2026

Arkansas – Theodore E. Suhl, 50, of Warm Springs, Arkansas, was found guilty yesterday of engaging in a bribery scheme involving a former deputy director of the Arkansas Department of Human Services (ADHS), announced Assistant Attorney General Leslie R. Caldwell of the Department of Justice’s Criminal Division.

The evidence presented at trial showed that Suhl bribed former deputy director of ADHS, Steven B. Jones, using intermediaries Phillip W. Carter and a local pastor. Trial evidence demonstrated that beginning in approximately April 2007, Suhl, Jones and Carter periodically met at restaurants in Memphis, Tennessee, or in rural Arkansas in order for Suhl to request assistance for his companies from Jones in his capacity as deputy director of ADHS.

Jones agreed to perform official acts that benefitted Suhl and Suhl’s businesses and provided internal ADHS information to Suhl, according to evidence presented at trial. The trial evidence also showed that, in exchange for Jones’s agreement to perform official acts, Suhl paid Jones by funneling cash payments through the pastor’s church and providing the bribe payments to Jones in cash so that the transactions would not be easily traceable.

Suhl was convicted by a federal jury of two counts of honest services fraud, one count of federal funds bribery and one count of interstate travel in aid of bribery. Jones pleaded guilty to federal funds bribery and conspiracy for his involvement in the scheme and was sentenced to 30 months in prison. Carter pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit federal funds bribery and honest services wire fraud and was sentenced to 24 months in prison.

The FBI’s Little Rock Field Office investigated the case. Trial Attorneys Lauren Bell, John D. Keller and Amanda R. Vaughn of the Criminal Division’s Public Integrity Section are prosecuting the case.

Suhl and his companies provided inpatient and outpatient mental health services to juveniles. The exact date of the conviction was not specified in the press release.

The outcome of Suhl’s case is currently pending sentencing. He faces up to 20 years in prison for each count of honest services fraud, up to 10 years for federal funds bribery, and up to 5 years for interstate travel in aid of bribery.

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