Paragould Man Gets Four Years of Probation in $9,900 Hot-Check Case

PARAGOULD, Ark. — A Paragould man received four years of probation after pleading guilty to a felony hot-check charge involving a $9,900.84 check, according to Greene County Circuit Court records.

Steven Floyd Crockett, 69, entered a negotiated guilty plea on Oct. 2 to violating Arkansas’ hot-check law, a Class C felony. Circuit Judge Melissa Richardson sentenced him to 48 months of probation.

The sentencing order also requires Crockett to pay $4,164.19 in restitution in full within 30 days of the plea. It lists a $500 fine, $150 in court costs and a $60 booking/administrative fee.

Two Class D felony theft-of-property charges were dropped by prosecutors. The sentencing order lists both counts as nolle prossed.

The case stemmed from transactions described in an arrest-warrant affidavit signed by Detective Cpl. Aaron Gamber.

According to the affidavit, Unico Bank reported on April 28, 2025, that Crockett had opened an account on April 22 and deposited $100. The bank reported that he withdrew $80 that same day, then wrote himself a $9,900.84 check on the account and deposited it into an account at Focus Bank.

A Focus Bank representative reported that Crockett made two withdrawals before the check was rejected: $1,000 on April 22 and $4,200 on April 23, according to the affidavit.

Gamber wrote that he obtained records for both accounts, including video evidence and account statements that corroborated the reported transactions.

Prosecutors filed the hot-check charge and the two theft counts on May 20, 2025.

Crockett’s probation conditions require him to report as directed to a supervising officer, obey the law, obtain approval for changes in residence and certain travel, and refrain from possessing firearms or ammunition. He must also submit to random testing for controlled substances and pay court-ordered financial obligations.

The signed probation conditions warn that violations could result in a prison sentence of up to 10 years.

Adam Butler is listed as the prosecutor in the sentencing order, being the deputy assigned under Prosecutor Sonia Fonticiella-Hagood. Armando Fonticiella is listed as Crockett’s defense attorney.

The sentencing order and probation conditions were filed Oct. 2 in Greene County Circuit Court case 28CR-25-212.