Two tampering charges filed against Cradduck

Benton County Sheriff Kelley Cradduck
Benton County Sheriff Kelley Cradduck

BENTONVILLE — Sheriff Kelley Cradduck was formally charged with a felony and misdemeanor by a special prosecutor Monday.

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 about the filing of the charges Monday night. Cradduck 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.”

Also Monday, Cradduck’s arraignment date was moved from Feb. 29 — the day before the primary election — to Feb. 22.

Barrett and Drew Miller, Cradduck’s attorney, agreed 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, on Monday afternoon referred any legal questions to Miller, who didn’t 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 Oct. 7 hiring date. The change in hire dates would have resulted in Cox being paid for time he didn’t work, according to court documents.

The misdemeanor charge accuses Cradduck of knowing an Arkansas State Police investigation was under way and instructing his assistant Diana Goodwin to lie to investigators by falsely informing them Cradduck never asked her to back date 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.

The State Police also suspended Cradduck’s certification to teach classes to people seeking a concealed handgun carry license after his arrest.

Cradduck seeks a third term in office. He is running for the Republican nomination for sheriff against Siloam Springs Cpl. Timothy Filbeck, Major Shawn Holloway with the Sheriff’s Office and Lowell Lt. Paul Pillaro.

Pillaro said Monday he would withhold any comment about Cradduck’s criminal case until it’s resolved.

Filbeck said he strongly believes that Cradduck is completely innocent until found guilty in court, but Filbeck said he also believes that Cradduck should voluntarily or by intervention be removed from office with pay just as any other law enforcement office would have been suspended until his case is adjudicated through the courts.

“I personally do not see any justification in Kelley Cradduck’s statement that the Arkansas State Police have been politically motivated to investigate and criminally charge him,” Filbeck said. “The ASP has nothing to gain with Cradduck’s win or defeat. I will continue my endeavor to win the sheriff election on the same views and principles I started my campaign with.”

Tracy M. Neal can be reached by email at [email protected] or Twitter @NWATracy.

NW News on 02/02/2016

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