State Digest
Developer of software used by hackers gets nearly 3 years
ALEXANDRIA, Va. (AP) — A high-school dropout from Arkansas who developed software used by hackers has been sentenced to nearly three years in prison.
Twenty-seven-yearold Taylor Huddleston of Hot Springs, Arkansas, pleaded guilty last year in federal court in Alexandria to aiding computer intrusions.
He admitted developing two programs called "NanoCore" and "Net Seal." The first allowed users to take over another computer from a remote location. The second was a licensing program used to distribute malware to paying customers.
Huddleston sold and marketed the programs on hacker forums, knowing they would be used illegally.
Huddleston said he developed NanoCore while he was living out of a mobile home as a way to lift himself out of poverty.
The 33-month sentence he received Friday was less than the seven-year term sought by prosecutors.
Indicted Arkansas lobbyist to be transferred to Missouri
FAYETTEVILLE (AP) — An indicted lobbyist in Arkansas has agreed to be transferred to Missouri, where he faces federal charges of conspiracy and accepting bribes.
The Northwest Arkansas DemocratGazette reports that the indictment was released Thursday for Milton Russell Cranford of Bentonville.
The indictment says that nonprofit Preferred Family Healthcare in Springfield, Missouri, paid consultant Donald Andrew Jones nearly $974,000 between 2011 and 2017. Federal prosecutors say either Cranford or his lobbying firms and former state Rep. Eddie Cooper are accused of taking kickbacks from Jones totaling $264,000.
Records show Cranford was arrested Wednesday and is being held at the Washington County jail. He appeared at a transfer hearing the next day in Fayetteville and didn't oppose his transfer to Missouri. No hearing date has been set in Springfield.
Arkansas lieutenant governor, congressman file for re-elect
LITTLE ROCK (AP) — Arkansas Lt. Gov. Tim Griffin and U.S. Rep. Steve Womack have filed to run for re-election.
The two Republicans were among the candidates filing paperwork to run in this year's election on Friday.
The one-week filing period for office kicked off on Thursday.
Griffin is a former congressman who was elected lieutenant governor in 2014. Womack was first elected to the 3rd District House seat in northwest Arkansas in 2010 and is chairman of the House Budget Committee.