FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. (AP) - A former Arkansas state senator and two others have pleaded not guilty to charges that accuse them of a kickback scheme involving state grants.
Former Sen. Jon Woods entered the plea Tuesday, as did Ecclesia College President Oren Paris III and consultant Randell Shelton Jr. The three are accused of conspiring with former state Rep. Micah Neal to secure General Improvement Fund grants for Ecclesia College in exchange for kickbacks to Neal and Woods.
Neal pleaded guilty in January to conspiracy to commit honest services fraud.
At the hearing Tuesday, attorneys for Woods, Paris and Shelton requested a jury trial and said they look forward to proving their clients’ innocence. The Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette reports (https://bit.ly/2nj5Mgz ) all three surrendered their passports and Woods and Shelton surrendered their state concealed-carry permits.
___
Information from: Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, https://www.nwaonline.com
Please read our comment policy before commenting.