DANVILLE, Arkansas — 49-year-old Chasity Gault, the wife of Yell County Sheriff Nick Gault, has pleaded guilty to stealing nearly $40,000 from the county sheriff's office.
According to an affidavit released in August, she stole $39,982 in total, including money from the Paper Service account ($226,643), the Dardanelle Virtual Justice account ($9,374), and the Dardanelle Restitution account ($3,965) between January 1, 2023, and March 8, 2024.
"The defrauding of the people of Yell County is unacceptable, and those who choose to do so have no business in government," Yell County Judge Jeff Gilkey said. "The accounts in question were under the exclusive control of the Yell County Sheriff, which is normal across the state, and not peer-reviewed by the County Clerk, County Treasurer, or the County Judge."
Arkansas Legislative Auditor Jimmy Locke conducted an audit, which revealed Gault wrote $9,374 worth of unreceipted checks from the restitution account to the Virtual Justice account in an "attempt to conceal the cash that she stole."
Additionally, Locke's audit showed thefts from the Paper Service account stopped in February 2024.
During an interview, Gault admitted to taking cash she collected for payments at her office and "using it for personal purchases such as groceries and medication for her daughter."
Her sentence includes a theft of property charge, probation, and restitution.
