Roderick Daniels, a former probation officer for the Arkansas Department of Community Correction, was sentenced Wednesday to two days in federal prison and four weekends in a halfway house for taking money to help a probationer evade positive drug screens.
U.S. District Judge D. Price Marshall Jr. also ordered Daniels, 24, of Little Rock to perform 150 hours of community service work and repay $1,200 that he accepted from one man in five payments between Jan. 22, 2015 and mid-September 2015.
Daniels admitted in April that he accepted the money from a man he supervised in Pulaski County who was on probation in connection with a terroristic threatening charge.
According to Assistant U.S. Attorney Allison Bragg, Daniels noticed that the man had failed a drug test and called him before the next scheduled drug test to ask if the man thought he would pass. When the man said he didn't think he could pass a drug test anytime soon, Daniels offered to delay the test until the probationer was able to test negative -- for a price.
Bragg said Daniels charged the man $200 to delay the test, and then charged the man $250 four other times for continually delaying his drug test.
In a sentencing memorandum, defense attorney Dale Adams noted that Daniels faced up to six months in prison, but was also eligible for probation, under federal sentencing guidelines. In seeking leniency, Adams pointed out that Daniels had no prior criminal record, is pursuing a second master's degree and has been employed since his arrest.
Daniels was indicted Nov. 4, 2015, on five counts of using a telephone to facilitate the abuse of office. He pleaded guilty to one of the charges, and the other four were dropped.
The indictment said he wasn't authorized to collect "economic sanctions." It said a sign above his desk warned probationers, "Do not pay fees to ANY ADCC Officer or Staff."
Metro on 11/10/2016