Cradduck assigning duties to chief deputy, campaign manager confirms

Photo by Jason Ivester Benton County Sheriff Kelley Cradduck in an August 2015 file photo.
Photo by Jason Ivester Benton County Sheriff Kelley Cradduck in an August 2015 file photo.

BENTONVILLE — Sheriff Kelley Cradduck sent out a message Thursday that he is temporarily assigning operations of the sheriff’s office to his chief deputy.

“Due to the upcoming Sheriff Election and current campaign duties, along with recent events, I will be very busy in my efforts to remain your Sheriff,” Cradduck states in the message.

Bill Adams, Cradduck's campaign manager, confirmed the veracity of the message.

Cradduck was arrested Tuesday in connection with tampering with public documents, a Class D felony and tampering, a Class A misdemeanor. Formal charges have not been filed against Cradduck.

Cradduck stated that he is assigning operations to the sheriff’s office to Richie Conner, his chief deputy.

“I will be available on an as needed basis and will be in direct contact with Chief Conner on the status of daily operations,” Cradduck stated. “We will operate professionally and serve the citizens of Benton County just as we always have.”

Adams said Conner has always had many command duties.

Cradduck will still be in the office, but if he is out campaigning then his staff can communicate with him through Connner, Adams said.

Cradduck is holding a news conference at 10 a.m. Friday outside the sheriff’s office.

Cradduck is seeking his third term in the coming election. Cpl. Timothy Filbeck with the Siloam Springs Police Department, Major Shawn Holloway with the Benton County sheriff’s office and Lt. Paul Pillaro with the Lowell Police Department are running against Cradduck in the Republican primary.

The election is March 1.

Conner was the center of controversy last summer when he admitted he drove a county vehicle to Florida for vacation.

Conner said there had been a practice of using county vehicles and he's used a county vehicle to travel to Branson, Mo., and Florida. Conner said he's been with the sheriff 's office for 20 years and others also used county vehicles to travel on vacation.

Former Sheriff Keith Ferguson denied that he ever allowed or gave permission to any deputy to use a county vehicle to travel on vacation.

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