JONESBORO, Ark. – More alleged misdeeds of the disgraced former Craighead County clerk are coming to light this week.
A report filed on July 1 and obtained this week by NEA Report says The Northeast Arkansas Leadership Business Council was the victim of a theft of as much as $20,000 and the suspect was the treasurer – Jacob Kade Holliday.
The group president, Jeff Morris, and vice-president, Katherine Calaway, reported that the nonprofit organization was created in November, 2019. A bank account was set up at First National Bank. At the time, Holiday was the de facto treasurer. Between membership fees, club dues and money raised, there should have been between $15,000 and $20,000 in the account – as none should have been spent. Instead, there was $6.
Further complicating matters, Holliday was the only one listed on the bank account, preventing the group from getting records.
The group’s president told Region 8 News that a “seemingly corrupt person that the community placed their trust in” had ruined the organization made to better the community.
It’s but a drop in the bucket to the total Holliday is accused of thieving. $1.6 million was taken unlawfully from county accounts, of which he faces over a dozen charges for. He’s also accused of stealing money from at least one account of a business he was involved in, Twisted Foods, leaving them with nothing, according to owner Rose Hankins.
On Monday, the Craighead County Quorum Court declared the clerk’s position open and accepted Holliday’s resignation, the Jonesboro Sun reported. The county then voted to accept resumes for the person they will choose to fill the position. Applications will be accepted until noon Monday, July 13.
I’d say that boy needs and has needed some serious help. What a shame, too; he could have been county clerk for life as many of his predecessors were.