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Department of Justice United States Attorney Conner Eldridge Western District of Arkansas PHONE: (479) 783-5125 FAX: (479) 441-0569 |
Northwest Arkansas Men Plead Guilty to Offenses Related to Bribery in Connection with Bank Loan
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE July 31, 2012
Fayetteville, Arkansas - Conner Eldridge, United States Attorney for the Western District of Arkansas, announced today that Christopher Lee Talley, age 41, formerly of Northwest Arkansas and William B. Hemm, age 33, of Fayetteville, Arkansas, pled guilty to charges that they conspired to pay a bribe to a bank officer in order to influence a business transaction with a financial institution. Additionally, William B. Hemm pled guilty to misapplication of bank funds. Talley and Hemm face a potential maximum penalty of five years imprisonment, not more than three years supervised release and up to a $250,000 fine on the bribery count. Hemm also faces up to 30 years imprisonment, not more than five years supervised release and a $1,000,000 fine on the misapplication of bank funds count.
Separate Informations were filed today against Christopher Lee Talley and William B. Hemm. The Information charging Christopher Lee Talley alleged that Talley conspired with William B. Hemm, an officer of ANB Financial, N.A., Fayetteville, Arkansas, to pay Hemm $60,000 to obtain approval of a $6,200,000 loan. The Information on William B. Hemm charged the same allegations as with Talley and additionally charged that Hemm, as an officer of ANB Financial, N.A. misapplied $82,500 out of the loan proceeds of Memphis Sports Management to Spitfire Aviation, LLC for the rental of a private jet aircraft. The Information further states that the two men flew to Henderson, Nevada and that Talley paid $60,000 to Hemm in Las Vegas, Nevada.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Office of Inspector General FDIC. Assistant U.S. Attorney Steven N. Snyder prosecuted the case for the United States.
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