Vaughn Knight Found Guilty

K. Vaughn Knight, former attorney for convicted real estate developer Brandon Barber, was found guilty Monday in Fort Smith on numerous federal charges, according to a report from local CBS affiliate KFSM-TV, Channel 5.

The Fayetteville lawyer was accused of helping Barber hide millions of dollars in assets from authorities during a bankruptcy, according to the report.

Knight was found guilty of eight criminal counts, ranging from bankruptcy fraud to money laundering. The charges carry a maximum penalty of 140 years in prison and $4 million in fines, according to the report.

Knight is the last of Barber’s co-defendants to be tried in connection with the $200 million fraud scheme.

Barber pleaded guilty in July to three federal charges — conspiracy to commit bank and bankruptcy fraud and money laundering — but has yet to be sentenced.

Three others charged in the case as co-defendants also pleaded guilty. Jeff Whorton, owner of Whorton Construction in Springdale, and James Van Doren, an attorney and a friend of Barber’s, each pleaded guilty in August to various federal counts.

Brandon Rains, a former project manager for The Barber Group, pleaded guilty in October to a single count of making false statements to federal authorities.

In exchange, prosecutors dropped other charges against Rains, including one count of conspiracy to commit bank fraud and one count of money laundering.

A fifth co-defendant, Rogers attorney David Fisher, was found not guilty in October of conspiracy to commit bank fraud.