by Paul Gatling (pgatling@nwabj.com)

A federal judge on Tuesday (March 8) sentenced two Arkansas men to federal prison in connection with the development of a wind turbine that was never operational and a proposed wind farm project in Washington County that was never constructed.

U.S. District Judge Tim Brooks sentenced Jody Davis of Searcy to 15 years in federal prison followed by three years of supervised release. Phillip Ridings was sentenced to 97 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release. Both men were also ordered to pay $1.13 million in restitution.

https://talkbusiness.net/2022/03/two-arkansas-men-sentenced-in-connection-with-failed-washington-county-wind-farm/

KUAR | By Debra Hale-Shelton/ Arkansas Nonprofit News Network

Former Faulkner County Circuit Judge Mike Maggio has been released from federal prison after serving less than half of a 10-year sentence for bribery.

The development is the latest in a long-running and complex criminal case that dates back to 2014 and that has entangled a once-powerful Republican lobbyist, a wealthy nursing home owner, an Arkansas Supreme Court justice and others. Maggio was accused of reducing the amount of money a jury awarded in a 2013 civil case he presided over as a judge and expecting campaign donations in return.

Maggio, 60, was freed Wednesday, according to the U.S. Bureau of Prisons’ website. Since he was first incarcerated on July 19, 2017, he has been held in facilities in Kentucky, Atlanta and other undisclosed places.

https://www.ualrpublicradio.org/local-regional-news/2021-10-23/former-arkansas-judge-mike-maggio-released-from-federal-prison

Two Arkansas men sentenced in connection with failed Washington County wind farm

Former Arkansas judge Mike Maggio released from federal prison