The Arkansas State Police (ASP) arrested Helena-West Helena Mayor Christopher Franklin on charges of felony tax evasion, as confirmed in reports released yesterday. Franklin, age 44, is now facing four counts of failure to pay or file a tax return. This development follows a probe by the ASP's Special Investigations Unit at the behest of the First Judicial District Prosecutor Todd Murray in June of last year, Action News 5 reported.
According to the St. Francis County Sheriff’s Office's records, Mayor Franklin's arrest occurred during a traffic stop around 5 p.m. yesterday. As per Local Memphis, the ASP disclosed that Franklin had omitted filing taxes for four out of the past five years. He was consequently taken to the St. Francis County Detention Center, where a judge set his bond at $100,000.
The incident has also stirred reactions among the local populace, with Nona Campbell, a resident and voter from Helena-West Helena, expressing her dismay, "I don’t even know what to say because I’m stunned," Campbell told FOX13 Memphis in a recent interview. Cell phone footage showed the mayor in handcuffs near a gas station approximately a quarter mile from City Hall.
Franklin's tenure as mayor has not been without its challenges, as the city has witnessed multiple boil orders due to aging infrastructure and witnessed four police officers being fired under allegations of excessive use of force. Currently, he is embroiled in a legal issue with the Arkansas Supreme Court over his and his chief of staff's salaries.
As it stands, Mayor Franklin has yet to make a public statement regarding his arrest and charges. The ongoing investigation is primed to reveal more details, and updates will be issued as they become available.
