BENTONVILLE - Benton County comptroller Sarah Wilson was placed on administrative leave Friday, and Sheriff Kelley Cradduck said his office is “re-evaluating” its investigation into thefts involving the county’s Road Department.
Asked whether the re-evaluation concerned Wilson and if her being placed on leave by County Judge Bob Clinard was related to those questions, Cradduck said it did.
“We’re just trying to find out about some dates and times of events that may have happened and just go from there,” Cradduck said.
Wilson said she was given no reason for being placed on leave by Clinard.
“I don’t know why I’m on suspension,” Wilson said. “He told me I was, and he told me he couldn’t say why. That’s all I know.”
Wilson also said she had no knowledge of anything that the sheriff’s office might be investigating.
Clinard said he couldn’t comment on Wilson’s status other than to confirm she was placed on administrative leave with pay at noon Friday. He said the situation is being reviewed and more action will be taken soon.
Three employees were arrested last summer after the Benton County sheriff’s office investigated theft of county property and misuse of money in the county’s Road Department.
Scott Stober, the public service administrator whoover saw the department, was arrested July 30 in connection with two felony counts of theft of property. He later resigned.
Stober and Wilson were in a relationship before his arrest, sheriff’s office investigators and Wilson confirmed at the time, and investigators spent several days last summer looking through records in the accounting office.
Two other Road Department supervisors were arrested Aug. 10. Jackie Dale Brown, 51, of Rogers was arrested in connection with felony theft of property as well as theft of services and obstructing governmental operations, both misdemeanors. Grant McCracken, 42, of Fayetteville was arrested in connection with being an accomplice to misdemeanor theft of property.
Arkansas, Pages 15 on 04/05/2014