He’s been arrested.
A long saga has finally played out after the mayor of Augusta, Arkansas was arrested by Arkansas State Police. The arrest comes amid heated meetings at the state Capitol in Little Rock, where Mayor Collins stormed out of the room over allegations that would later lead to his arrest.
Augusta Mayor Stormed Out Of Legislative Audit Meeting Before Arrest
Back in August 2023, Jeff Collins stormed out of the Legislative Joint Auditing subcommittee focused on Counties and Municipalities in Little Rock.
Mayor Collins abruptly left the room amidst allegations of financial mismanagement raised by City Council Member Perry Galloway.
After the abrupt exit, state auditors disclosed that the City of Augusta had engaged in several questionable financial practices. These included issuing contracts without bidding, approving the forgiveness of utility bills at the mayor’s discretion, and permitting the use of a city credit card for purposes that were not clearly business-related, as detailed in a report made public on Wednesday.
He’s Been Arrested Over Same Allegations
Now Arkansas State Police have confirmed they have arrested Jeff Collins, the 61-year-old Mayor of Augusta, charging him with one count of Theft of Property.
The arrest follows an investigation initiated by the First Judicial District Prosecuting Attorney’s Office in response to findings from a legislative audit.
The arrest details seem to confirm suspicions were valid levied against Collins. Although all suspects are presumed innocent until guilty:
- Arrest Details: Collins was taken into custody and is currently held at the Woodruff County Detention Center. He was released on his own recognizance without the need for bond.
- Investigation Background: The investigation was sparked by an audit conducted by the Arkansas Legislature, which highlighted potential financial irregularities, prompting a deeper look into Collins’ management of city funds.
- Audit Findings: Although not directly mentioned in the arrest details, previous audits have pointed out issues like no-bid contracts, unauthorized utility bill adjustments, and questionable credit card usage under Collins’ administration.
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