Benton police arrested three former organizers of a local baseball and softball tournament Monday on charges of tax fraud related to the event.
Kimberly McClendon, 44; Shane Pigue, 48; and his wife, Lara, 46, all of Benton, had been under investigation by the police and the Internal Revenue Service for six months, according to police spokesman Lt. Kevin Russell. Each had been involved with the annual Wally Hall Tournament of Champions for at least seven years, and charges against the three "stem from a number of years" during that period, Russell said.
Hall is the sports editor and a columnist at the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette.
Police began investigating McClendon and the Pigues "due to suspicious activity and improprieties" involving the tournament, police reported. Further details were not released.
"I can't really go into too much because it's still an ongoing investigation at this moment," Russell said Tuesday.
McClendon and the Pigues were each charged with three felony counts of false or fraudulent report, three felony counts of computer fraud and three misdemeanor counts of criminal conspiracy.
The Pigues were additionally charged with two counts of failure to pay or file tax returns.
Russell said additional charges were possible.
McClendon and the Pigues were released on bond shortly after their arrest Monday, police said. Attempts to contact them were unsuccessful Tuesday. Directories showed home addresses for the three, but no phone numbers.
Tournament official Tim Bennett said McClendon and the Pigues were no longer associated with the event. This year's tournament, which begins Friday, is being run by the Benton Youth Sports Association and Bryant Athletic Association.
Bennett declined to comment further.
Hall said Tuesday that he has not been involved in the tournament in 11 years. "It's been a great event, and I'm sure it will be again," he said.
Metro on 05/20/2015