Pine Bluff Alderman Pleads Guilty To Felony Charges
By: Import User
Updated: January 7, 2009
A Pine Bluff alderman pleaded guilty today to
a felony theft charge related to his management of a nonprofit
agency and has agreed to resign from office.
Billy Freeman, who also faces federal charges, made the plea one
day before his trial on state charges was to begin. Sentencing was
not immediately scheduled.
The charge relates to more than $71,000 paid to Freeman and the Southeast Arkansas Community Development
Corporation by the city of Pine Bluff. The sum was to have been
repaid when Southeast received a federal grant from the US
Department of Housing and Urban Development. When the grant funds
were received in December 2002, Southeast issued a check to the
city but it was rejected because of insufficient funds.
Subsequent checks from Southeast were postdated, which prompted
Mayor Dutch King to complain to Prosecutor Steve Dalrymple. The
state Division of Audit reviewed the agency`s books and cited
problems with how the money was administered.
