Source: United States Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives (ATF)
LITTLE ROCK—Zachary Hunter Alexander, former Chief Deputy for the Stone County Sheriff’s Office, will spend the next 33 months in federal prison for selling a stolen firearm and extortion under color of official right. Jonathan D. Ross, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas, announced the sentence, which was handed down today by United States District Judge Lee P. Rudofsky.
On May 3, 2022, a federal grand jury indicted Alexander, 40, of Lakeview, in an 11-count indictment. Count 1 and counts 8 through 11 of the indictment charged Alexander with bank fraud, count 2 charged Alexander with selling a stolen firearm, and counts 3 through 7 charged Alexander with extortion under color of official right. On August 14, 2023, Alexander plead guilty to selling a stolen firearm and extortion under color of official right.
An investigation revealed that on May 31, 2019, Alexander purchased two Remington 700, 6.5 Creedmore sniper rifles. On June 3, 2019, Alexander received a cashier’s check from the Stone County Sheriff’s Foundation for $1,465.90 for the purchase of two Remington 700, 6.5 Creedmore sniper rifles for the Stone County Sheriff’s Office. In December 2019, Alexander sold one of the sniper rifles that belonged to the Stone County Sheriff’s Office for his personal benefit.
On approximately February 19, 2020, Alexander misused his authority as the Chief Deputy for the Sheriff’s Office to obtain $3,809.10 from the Stone County Treasurer. Alexander stated it was to reimburse a pawn shop for rifles, ammunition, and equipment purchased for the Sheriff’s Office. However, Alexander took the check to the owner of pawn shop, who accompanied Alexander to the bank, then endorsed the check and let Alexander keep the cash. As in other similar instances alleged in the indictment, no items were actually purchased from the pawn shop.
In addition to the 33-month sentence, Judge Rudofsky also sentenced Alexander to two years’ supervised release. Judge Rudofsky also ordered Alexander to pay restitution in the amount of $153,786.84, which primarily reflects pawn shop checks improperly cashed and dispensed to Alexander, fraudulent credit card purchases for personal items by Alexander on a Sheriff’s Office credit card, and Alexander’s fraudulent check kiting at various banks. There is no parole in the federal system.
This case was investigated by the Arkansas State Police, with assistance from the Stone County Sheriff’s Office, Stone County Sheriff’s Foundation, Stone County Treasurer’s Office, 16th Judicial District Prosecuting Attorney’s Office, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
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