LITTLE ROCK – Attorney General Tim Griffin announced the arrest of Katrina Criswell, 47, and Lakeyia Alexander, 29, both Cotton Plant city employees, on charges of Theft of Property, classified as D Felonies.
"Those who work in local government hold a special public trust, as they are closest to the people," Griffin stated. "Both of the accused falsified their time sheets to claim more hours than they were authorized to work, thus increasing their salary without the knowledge and approval of the Mayor of Cotton Plant or the City Council. Stealing from the city that employs you is an affront to the hardworking taxpayers that pay you."
Griffin extended his gratitude to special agents from his office’s Public Integrity Unit for their investigation leading to the arrests. He also thanked officers from the Augusta Police Department and deputies from the Woodruff County Sheriff’s Office for their assistance.
Criswell and Alexander worked for the Cotton Plant Mayor’s Office. In February 2023, during a period when the mayor was on medical leave, they allegedly falsified their time sheets to claim more hours worked than their budgeted 20 hours per week. This resulted in over $5,000 in unauthorized wages for each.
Both individuals are currently held in Woodruff County Jail.
Attorney General Tim Griffin was sworn in as Arkansas's 57th Attorney General on January 10, 2023. He previously served as Lieutenant Governor from 2015-2023 and represented Arkansas’s Second Congressional District from 2011-2015. His military service includes over 27 years in the U.S. Army Reserve Judge Advocate General’s (JAG) Corps where he holds the rank of colonel.
Griffin's career includes various roles such as Commander of multiple Legal Operations Detachments, Senior Legislative Advisor at the Pentagon, U.S. Attorney for Eastern District of Arkansas, and several positions within federal agencies and committees.
He holds a master’s degree in strategic studies from U.S. Army War College and law degrees from Tulane Law School and Oxford University. Griffin resides in Little Rock with his wife Elizabeth and their three children.