Barber, Co-Defendant Rains To Get Change-Of-Plea Hearings On Wednesday

Booking photo of Brandon Barber from June 14, 2013. Barber was booked into the Washington County Jail at 22:28, according to the sheriff's office website.
Booking photo of Brandon Barber from June 14, 2013. Barber was booked into the Washington County Jail at 22:28, according to the sheriff's office website.

FORT SMITH - A change-of-plea hearing has been scheduled Wednesday afternoon for former Northwest Arkansas developer Brandon Barber and one of his co-defendants, Brandon Rains, according to U.S. District Court records.

An entry on the court’s electronic filing system, PACER, had an entry on the docket Monday stating Barber’s jury trials scheduled for September and October were canceled and that the change-of-plea hearing was scheduled in Fort Smith for 1:30 p.m. Wednesday before U.S. District Judge P.K. Holmes III.

A change-of-plea hearing has been scheduled for Rains at 3:30 p.m. Wednesday before Holmes, according to the docket.

Barber is charged in two indictments. In one indictment issued in July 2012 but sealed until March 20, he is charged with bank fraud, money laundering, money laundering and aiding and abetting, conspiracy to commit money laundering, conspiracy to commit bankruptcy fraud, bankruptcy fraud, bankruptcy fraud and aiding and abetting, concealment of assets, and false statements and aiding and abetting. In the second indictment issued in January, he is charged with conspiracy to commit bank fraud.

Barber was a prominent real-estate developer in Northwest Arkansas before the recession that began in 2007. His Fayetteville developments include the seven-story $17 million Legacy Building near Dickson Street.

A resident of New York City, Brandon was released on $500,000 bond after his April 15 arraignment and was ordered into home detention. But court officials found that he violated the home detention requirements and, after being jailed briefly in mid-May, was released again after agreeing to home incarceration, which required him to remain at home unless given permission by the court’s probation office to travel outside the home.

On June 14, U.S. Magistrate Erin Setser ordered Barber jailed until his trials for violating the conditions of his release from jail.

Rains of Barber Springdale is charged in the January indictment with conspiracy to commit bank fraud and money laundering. He is accused with Barber and Jeff Whorton of Johnson with making false statements to First Federal Bank representatives regarding prices of property to obtain higher loan amounts and generate excess cash, which they concealed from the bank.

Northwest Arkansas, Pages 7 on 07/30/2013

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