A former Pine Bluff police lieutenant surrendered at the Dub Brassell Detention Center on Thursday after a warrant for his arrest was issued.
Prosecutors booked Derrell Eugene Ray, 46, into the Jefferson County jail under the name Eugene Derrell, with illegally selling 30 police vehicles with a value of more than $5,000 but not more than $25,000. Circuit Judge Alex Guynn signed the warrant March 4, and Jefferson County Sheriff Lafayette Woods Jr. confirmed that Ray reported to the jail Thursday on his own after his lawyer notified authorities.
Ray was out on $5,000 cash bond within about 25 minutes of being booked, according to a jail receptionist.
According to a probable cause affidavit, Jefferson County Prosecuting Attorney Kyle Hunter requested Arkansas State Police to investigate allegations of several Pine Bluff police vehicles being sold without authorization between May and July 2021.
"These vehicles were older model patrol units, crime scene units and undercover vehicles that had been taken out of service, and were to be sold at auction," the affiant wrote. "Lieutenant Ray was the fleet manager for the department and has been responsible for conducting city auctions in the past. This investigation revealed Lieutenant Ray sold vehicles to various people and provided some with titles that were signed by him and some that never received titles. The estimated value loss due to this theft was $20,850.00."
Ray retired "about the end of July," Pine Bluff Police Chief Lloyd Franklin Sr. said.
A court date for Ray has not yet been set.
Ray's alleged property theft is a Class C felony punishable by 3-10 years in prison.