Charles David Chastain, a former auxiliary deputy for the Arkansas County sheriff's office who is accused of forcing confidential informants to steal items for him, pleaded innocent Wednesday to three federal charges on which he was formally indicted last week.
Chastain, 47, of Stuttgart, appeared briefly before U.S. Magistrate Judge Tricia Harris and, through appointed defense attorney Molly Sullivan of the federal public defender's office, he entered innocent pleas to charges of extortion, attempted extortion and attempted possession of a stolen firearm.
Harris set a proposed trial date of April 16 before U.S. District Judge Leon Holmes, though initial settings are often postponed.
Chastain, who worked as an unpaid deputy, was arrested Dec. 19 on a federal criminal complaint shortly after taking possession of three rifles that he believed were stolen and had asked an informant to find for him, according to an FBI agent's affidavit.
The agent said the former Arkansas State Police trooper then admitted that he had used his law enforcement status to coerce two informants to steal an all-terrain vehicle that he then kept for his personal use -- and that authorities later found in Chastain's shop.
FBI Special Agent Aaron Green also said in the affidavit that Chastain admitted to telling the informants to find some stolen firearms, or steal one, for his personal use.
At a Dec. 21 hearing, U.S. Magistrate Judge Jerome Kearney allowed Chastain to be released from custody, pending trial, on the condition that he remain on home detention with electronic monitoring, under his mother's supervision. Court records show that the home detention condition was later modified to allow Chastain to come and go from his mother's house as long as he complies with a curfew.
Arkansas County Sheriff Todd Wright said in December that Chastain began working for the agency around the first of 2017 and had been suspended pending the investigation. Wright called Chastain "one of the best narcotics officers" and said he was surprised by Chastain's arrest.
The FBI affidavit said Chastain worked as a special investigator and was affiliated with the Tri-County Drug Task Force, through which he supervised confidential informants in drug cases in and near Arkansas County.
The agent said two confidential informants contacted the FBI about Chastain putting pressure on them to steal things, saying they were afraid they wouldn't be given credit for their previous cooperation if they refused.
The ATV -- a camouflage Browning Edition Polaris Ranger 900 -- was stolen Nov. 28 from a duck-hunting club, according to the indictment.
The agent said FBI agents also were shown screen shots of text messages between Chastain and an informant in which Chastain asked about getting stolen firearms in "good condition" or that were "fitting" for Chastain's gun collection.
FBI agents and state police provided three rifles to the informant, who pretended that they were stolen guns and gave them to Chastain on Dec. 19 in return for $300, as law enforcement officers stood by, according to court documents.
Metro on 03/15/2018