Sentencing Rescheduled For Former Arkansas Lawmaker

A former state lawmaker and former deputy director of the Arkansas Department of Human Services who pleaded guilty to federal bribery and conspiracy charges will be sentenced early next year, according to court records.

Former State Rep. Steven Jones, D-Marion, was scheduled to be sentenced Thursday in federal court but the sentencing is now set for Jan. 8, 2016, at 1:30 p.m. in Little Rock.

Prosecutors allege that Jones, who pleaded guilty to two counts of bribery and one count of conspiracy earlier this year, was part of a conspiracy from April 2007 until November 2011.

Jones, Phillip Carter and two other people, who have not been named by authorities, were involved in the scheme, prosecutors have said.

“Person A was a resident of Crittenden County and was the Pastor and Superintendent of a church located in West Memphis. Carter was a juvenile probation officer and city council member for West Memphis and was also affiliated with Person A’s church,” prosecutors said in paperwork involving Carter’s case. “Jones was a Deputy Director of ADHS (Arkansas Department of Human Services from in or about April 2007 to in or about July 2013. … As an employee and high ranking manager, Jones was an agent of ADHS and he was responsible for, among other things, overseeing five of ADHS’s ten divisions. Person C was the owner of two mental health companies, Company A and Company B. Company A provided outpatient mental health services to juveniles. Company B provided inpatient mental health services to juveniles.”

Carter pleaded guilty Sept. 15 to one count of conspiracy to defraud the Arkansas Department of Human Services; and will be sentenced Feb. 18 in federal court at Little Rock.

Prosecutors believe Jones “solicited and received things of value, including cash payments, from Person C” while Person C would give “things of value” to Jones through Carter, Person A and other intermediaries.

In court paperwork, prosecutors have also said that Jones, Carter and Person C would meet secretly at restaurants in Memphis and Arkansas to discuss the conspiracy.

“At the meetings, they discussed the business interests of Person C, Company A and Company B, and Jones agreed to take official acts to benefit Person C, Company A and Company B, including providing internal ADHS information to Person C,” prosecutors alleged in Carter’s case. “Prior to or during the meetings. … Person C would provide Carter with checks from companies associated with Person C that were made payable to Person A’s church. After the restaurant meetings, Carter would provide the checks to Person A, who typically deposited the checks or caused the checks to be deposited into church-related checking accounts (including an account associated with the church’s child development center) and received cash in return – either directly from the church related accounts or after transferring the money from the church-related accounts to a personal checking account.”

“Person A” would then give Carter all or part of the money; and Carter would give the money to Jones, prosecutors allege.