A former state lawmaker and two others accused of participating in a kickback scheme involving state grants pleaded not guilty to a revised set of charges Wednesday, the Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette reported.
Ex-state Sen. Jon Woods of Springdale faces 15 counts of fraud and one count of money laundering. Oren Paris III, president of Ecclesia College in Springdale; and consultant Randell G. Shelton Jr., formerly of Alma, face 14 counts of fraud, and all three men reportedly are charged with one count of conspiracy to commit fraud.
The trio is accused in a federal indictment of participating in a scheme involving grants from Arkansas' General Improvement Fund, the newspaper reported.
According to the indictment cited by the newspaper, the U.S. Justice Department says Paris paid Woods and former state Rep. Micah Neal of Springdale in return for the legislators sending $550,000 of their share of grants to his college in 2013 and 2014. Shelton reportedly used his consulting firm to pass along the kickbacks through consulting fees approved by Paris.
Neal pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit fraud Jan 4. The Democrat-Gazette reported he admitted he took kickbacks totaling $38,000 to direct General Improvement Fund money to two nonprofits. He has not been sentenced.
Woods, Paris and Shelton have a trial set for Dec. 4.
Read Thursday's Arkansas Democrat-Gazette for full details.
