Dennis Rainey, president, chief executive officer and co-founder of FamilyLife, the biblical-based relationship-counseling center in Little Rock, made his first Pulaski County Circuit Court appearance Monday to answer criminal allegations that he inflicted more than $100,000 in damages on publicly owned forests by illegally damaging or destroying more than 100 trees on Central Arkansas Water land.
Represented by attorney David Parker, the 73-year-old Rainey entered an innocent plea before Judge Cathi Compton to first-degree criminal mischief, a Class C felony charge that carries a potential prison sentence of three to 10 years and a $10,000 fine.
Parker, also known as a Christian author and podcast host, is due back in court for a status report on the case Jan. 31.
A swath of trees belonging to Central Arkansas Water on the Ouachita trail running alongside Lake Maumelle were found to be damaged in May by a Roland neighbor of Rainey's. Some of the timber had been cut down completely while other parts were mutilated.
Utility executives say that maintaining the forest is crucial for preservation of Lake Maumelle, which provides drinking water for more than 500,000 Arkansans.
About three weeks after that discovery, at a water utility board meeting, Rainey acknowledged he'd had the trees cut back, stating that he had done so to improve his view of Lake Maumelle and Pinnacle Mountain.
Rainey told water commissioners that he'd been given permission by a representative of Little Rock Water, the predecessor to Central Arkansas Water, to cut the pine trees and top the oak tree. That former employee denied that account, telling commissioners he distinctly remembered telling Rainey he could not cut trees.
Rainey further told commissioners that he'd twice had the forest growth trimmed back without any complaint. Rainey further said he would not have proceeded with the latest cuttings if he had known the full effect of the damage.
A utility representative said that 111 trees had been cut, with an estimated value of $109,899. The representative estimated the cost of cleaning up the area at $12,000.
Allegations that Rainey had acted illegally led to an investigation by the sheriff's office, which resulted in the felony charge. Rainey surrendered in July and was immediately released on his own recognizance.
Property records show Rainey's residence is a two-story, 3,765-square-foot home that sits at the end of Spillway Road on an acre purchased by Rainey and his wife Barbara in August 2007, along with a neighboring one-acre parcel.
The couple transferred ownership of both tracts of land to a trust established in their names last March, property records show.