What’s Next For Martha Shoffner?

With the conclusion of former Martha Shoffner’s trial on extortion and bribery charges, the former Arkansas Treasurer is facing a lengthy prison sentence and another trial for mail fraud.

Federal prosecutors charged Shoffner with 14 counts of extortion and bribery for her role in receiving $36,000 from a bond broker named Steele Stephens in exchange for his firm, St. Bernards of Russellville, receiving millions of dollars worth of business from the Treasurer’s office. Testimony showed that Shoffner often overrode her staff’s recommendations on the distribution of bond business from the state. Also, Stephens became a witness for the prosecution and recorded conversations with Shoffner that led to her conviction.

With the guilty conviction, Shoffner is facing a serious prison sentence and another trial on new charges related to her campaign account.

KATV Ch. 7’s Elicia Dover debriefed viewers on the next developments for Shoffner on this week’s edition of Talk Business & Politics. Dover covered the courtroom drama during Shoffner’s trial last week.

“It almost seems as if she wasn’t expecting this at all,” Dover said.

Dover reports that while the books say Shoffner could face “up to, but not more than 20 years” on her conviction, federal sentencing guidelines suggest that she will likely serve 60-73 months.

She also still faces 10 counts of mail fraud in a separate trial related to misuse of her campaign account.

Watch Dover’s interview below.