BENTONVILLE -- Benton County Sheriff Kelley Cradduck was formally charged with a felony and misdemeanor Monday by a special prosecutor.
Cradduck, 45, of Rogers is charged with tampering with a public record, a Class D felony, and tampering, a Class A misdemeanor. Jason Barrett, special prosecutor, filed the criminal information. Cradduck was arrested Jan. 19.
Cradduck had little to say Monday night about the filing of the charges. He has maintained his innocence and claims the allegations against him are politically motivated.
"I don't think anything has changed," Cradduck said. "I don't really have any comment. It is what it is."
Cradduck seeks a third term in office. He faces Benton County sheriff's office Maj. Shawn Holloway, Siloam Springs Cpl. Timothy Filbeck and Lowell Lt. Paul Pillaro in the Republican primary.
Cradduck's arraignment date also was moved Monday from Feb. 29 -- the day before the primary election -- to Feb. 22.
Barrett and Drew Miller, Cradduck's attorney, reached an agreement to move the arraignment up a week. It will be held at 8 a.m. in Circuit Judge Robin Green's court. Bill Adams, Cradduck's campaign manager, referred legal questions Monday to Miller, who did not return a message left with his office.
The felony charge accuses Cradduck of falsifying an employee payroll request form for Gabriel Cox by reflecting a start date of Sept. 28 instead of his actual hiring date of Oct. 7. The change in hire dates would have resulted in Cox being paid for time he did not work, according to court documents.
The misdemeanor charge accuses Cradduck of knowing an Arkansas State Police investigation was underway and instructing his assistant Diana Goodwin to lie to investigators by falsely informing them Cradduck never asked her to backdate the employee payroll request form, according to court documents.
Cradduck has said he was attempting to help Cox, who was homeless at the time, by hiring him to work in the jail. Cox recently was fired after Rogers police arrested him in connection with misdemeanor drug charges. Cox's personnel records listed Cradduck's address as his home when he was hired. The sheriff has said Cox moved into an apartment in Rogers after he received his first paycheck.
Arkansas State Police also suspended Cradduck's certification to teach classes to people seeking a concealed handgun carry license after his arrest.
State Desk on 02/02/2016