Benton County sheriff's arraignment moved away from election

Prosecutor files formal charges

James Kelley Cradduck
James Kelley Cradduck

BENTONVILLE — Benton County Sheriff Kelley Cradduck will be arraigned a week before the March 1 primary election, instead of the day before the election as previously scheduled.

Cradduck was arrested in connection with tampering with public records, a Class D felony, and tampering, a Class A misdemeanor. Jason Barrett, special prosecutor, filed charges today against Cradduck.

Cradduck’s attorney Drew Miller and Jason Barrett, the special prosecutor, agreed to move the arraignment to 8 a.m. Feb. 22 in Circuit Judge Robin Green’s court.

His arraignment had been set for Feb. 29.

Cradduck is accused in court documents of ordering his staff to backdate Gabriel Cox's hiring date to pay him for time he wasn't an employee of the jail. He’s also accused of instructing his secretary in October to lie to State Police, who are investigating, according to the court documents.

Cradduck, who's in his second term as sheriff, has said he was attempting to help Cox, who was homeless at the time, by hiring him to work at the jail.

Cradduck is seeking his third term. He is running agains Siloam Springs Cpl. Timothy Filbeck, Major Shawn Holloway and Lowell Lt. Paul Pillaro.

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