Steele Stephens

Stephen Owen Stephens, whose fluid baritone made him a broadcast hall of famer and Arkansas' version of Dick Clark with his 1950s dance program "Steve's Show" on KTHV, actually had to work hard on that fabled voice, he said in 2018. read more >

Is it possible that Rusty Cranford believed he was bribing Jeremy Hutchinson for legislative actions, but Hutchinson thought he was being paid only for legal work? read more >

At virtually every meeting, Rotarians recite “The Four-Way Test of the Things We Think, Say or Do,” but I keep my mouth shut. I’m fine with the first two — Is it the truth? Is it fair to all concerned? — because those are my personal and professional goals at all times. But the parts about building goodwill and friendship and being beneficial to all concerned — well, the things I’m paid to think, say and do don’t always pass those tests. read more >

Prosecutors scored point after point Friday, but U.S. District Judge Leon Holmes sentenced former State Treasurer Martha Shoffner to 30 months in federal prison — less than half the time that the U.S. Attorney's office sought. read more >

The Arkansas Securities Department has filed a complaint against Steele Stephens, stating he has not yet paid a $20,000 fine that was ordered in May. read more >

St. Bernard Financial Services Inc. of Russellville will pay a $25,000 fine to the Arkansas Securities Department for failing to properly supervise broker Steele Stephens. read more >

Arkansas Securities Commissioner A. Heath Abshure said Tuesday that he has appointed Jack Pruniski of Hilburn Calhoon Harper Pruniski & Calhoun of Little Rock as hearing officer in the cases of Steele Stephens and Robert Keenan. read more >

Federal prosecutors gave Steele Stephens immunity from prosecution and let him keep the millions in bond sales commissions he received from the business relationship that resulted in the criminal conviction of former state Treasurer Martha Shoffner. read more >

W. David Crain, a former representative of St. Bernard Financial Services of Russellville, has agreed to a $5,000 fine and more than $4,100 in restitution for his handling of a widow's account. read more >

You may know that the Arkansas Securities Department is after W. David Crain, a CPA who worked for St. Bernard Financial Services Inc., the Russellville firm under fire for employing Steele Stephens, a broker who bribed former state treasurer Martha Shoffner. read more >

Robert Keenan, CEO of St. Bernard Financial Services, says the state Securities Department is retaliating for an ethics complaint he filed against Heath Abshure, although he was given notice of the department's plans before he filed the complaint. read more >

A broker who handled a large share of Arkansas' bond business says he gave the state's former treasurer $6,000 at her Capitol office because she needed help through a rough patch in her life. read more >

Federal prosecutors drew testimony Thursday from current and former Arkansas treasurer's office employees about how the state missed profit opportunities by selling bonds early and angry outbursts by former Treasurer Martha Shoffner, who is accused of illegally accepting $36,000 from a bond dealer. read more >

Former State Treasurer Martha Shoffner pleaded not guilty Thursday morning to 10 counts of mail fraud, charges that were added earlier this month to a pending indictment for bribery and extortion. read more >

Official corruption is generally associated with a desire for personal enrichment. But in the case of Martha Shoffner, the payoffs were small and, according to the FBI, driven primarily by housing concerns. read more >

Hollywood couldn't dream up a scandal like the one that has culminated in the indictment of Martha Shoffner, who resigned as Arkansas Treasurer last week. Or maybe, Hollywood already has. read more >

Last night on THV 11 News, Arkansas Business editor Gwen Moritz told our news partner that "confidential human source 1" in the criminal complaint against Arkansas Treasurer Martha Shoffner could really only be one person, broker Steele Stephens. read more >