CRAIGHEAD COUNTY, Ark. — Former Craighead County Clerk, 33-year-old Jacob Holliday was found guilty Tuesday after he used more than $1.5 million of the county's money for personal use.
According to reports, county officials reported a theft that happened at the county's clerk's office in June of 2020 after "suspicious activity" was flagged in the county's bank account.
The bank in charge of managing Craighead County Clerk's Office's account noticed that $1,579,057.03 was missing and that it was later moved into Holliday's personal bank account.
After an interview with authorities, Holliday said that he was using the money to fund two of his personal business-- Holliday Development and Management, along with Total Healthcare.
The two businesses reportedly operated different restaurants and coffee shops in Jonesboro.
According to Holliday, he planned to pay the money back to the county but was later unable to after the COVID-19 pandemic forced most of his businesses to close.
At his hearing on Tuesday, he pleaded guilty to wire fraud and agreed to pay the $1,579,057.03 to Craighead County in restitution.