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Mail Fraud Charges Dropped Against Martha Shoffner

2 min read

LITTLE ROCK – A federal judge dismissed mail fraud charges against a former Arkansas treasurer Wednesday and directed officials to work on recommendations for a penalty for her previous conviction on 14 bribery and extortion counts.

Prosecutors had told the judge Tuesday they would drop 10 mail fraud charges against Martha Shoffner after determining that due to the earlier convictions any additional penalty wouldn’t be worth the effort.

They also told the court they would bring up the mail fraud accusations at Shoffner’s yet-unscheduled sentencing, but Shoffner’s lawyer said Wednesday he would likely object.

“Any objections to the United States’ presentation of evidence at sentencing will be reserved until that time,” lawyer Chuck Banks, a former federal prosecutor, wrote in a court filing.

While dismissing the charges, U.S. District Judge Leon Holmes gave prosecutors the option of raising them again. He also directed that work begin on a presentencing report and said he would set a sentencing date when the report was finished.

Shoffner was convicted previously on bribery and extortion counts. Prosecutors say she illegally steered state business to a bond broker who had given her cash.

In the mail charges, prosecutors accused Shoffner of using $9,800 in campaign cash to pay off credit card bills for personal items. She tried to plead guilty to one count in a plea bargain earlier this month, but Holmes rejected the agreement.

Shoffner said she didn’t misuse campaign money until after her successful re-election bid in 2010. Holmes said that for her to be guilty, she had to have formed the plan while she was soliciting campaign donations and scheduled a trial for Feb. 2.

Shoffner was arrested in May 2013 in an FBI raid at her Newport home. Agents said they found $6,000 that was delivered in a pie box by a bond dealer cooperating with authorities. She resigned days later.

(Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, rewritten, broadcast or distributed.)

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