Theodore E. Suhl, 50, of Warm Springs, Arkansas, was sentenced to 84 months in prison for his role in a bribery scheme involving a former deputy director of the Arkansas Department of Human Services (ADHS).
Suhl, the owner of two Arkansas mental health companies that provide inpatient and outpatient mental health services to juveniles, was convicted of two counts of honest services fraud, one count of federal funds bribery, and one count of interstate travel in aid of bribery.
According to evidence presented at trial, Suhl bribed former deputy director Steven B. Jones using intermediaries Phillip W. Carter and a local pastor. The scheme, which began in approximately April 2007, involved Suhl requesting assistance for his companies from Jones in his capacity as deputy director of ADHS.
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. This arrangement paved the way for more than $1.5 million in profits for Suhl’s juvenile mental health counseling business.
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, while Trial Attorneys John D. Keller, Lauren Bell, and Amanda R. Vaughn of the Public Integrity Section prosecuted the case.
In addition to his prison sentence, Suhl was ordered to pay a $200,000 fine. The scheme was uncovered through a lengthy investigation, which revealed a complex web of corruption and bribery that compromised the integrity of the ADHS.
Related Federal Cases
- Theodore E. Suhl, Honest Services Fraud, Arkansas 2007 · Tennessee
- Jonathan E. Woods, Bribery Scheme, Arkansas 2023 · Illinois
- Jeremy Hutchinson, Federal Program Bribery, Arkansas 2023 · Arkansas
- Thomas David Carruth, Bribery, Obstruction of Justice, Honest Services Wire Fraud, Arkansas 2023 · Arkansas
- John W. Cook, Bribery Scheme, Little Rock AR, 2023 · Illinois
Key Facts
- State: Arkansas
- Category: Public Corruption
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
ðŸâ€Â’ Get the grimiest stories delivered weekly. Subscribe free →
MORE FEDERAL CRIME NEWS
Public CorruptionPublic CorruptionPublic CorruptionPublic Corruption