Arkansas police probe misuse of license plate fees

By The Associated Press

Arkansas State Police are investigating allegations that state employees misused fees intended for specialty license plates.

Arkansas State Police spokesman Bill Sadler said Monday investigators have been looking into allegations that funds were misused in the specialty-plates section of the Arkansas Department of Finance and Administration's office of motor vehicles. Sadler says state police have been looking into the matter for at least two weeks and no charges have been filed.

"The allegation involves money that may have been diverted for personal use," Sadler said. The allegations involve fees for specialty license plates, he said, but would not elaborate on what the fees were going toward.

"The money was being diverted from its intended purposes. Where the money was going, that's certainly an element of the investigation," Sadler said.

Sadler would not say how many employees were involved or how much money was being diverted.

Richard Weiss, director of the Arkansas Department of Finance and Administration, did not immediately return a call seeking comment Monday.

For more information see Tuesday's Arkansas Democrat-Gazette.