Mental exam ordered for suspect

FAYETTEVILLE — A mental examination has been ordered for a former University of Arkansas administrative assistant charged with theft in connection to what authorities have said were fraudulent purchases resulting in a loss of about $335,700 to the university.

The defense attorney for Esther Kathryn Lake in a court filing last week cited “reasonable suspicion” that Lake, 44, is “not fit to proceed to trial” after being charged in September in Washington County Circuit Court with felony theft of property and five felony counts of fraudulent use of a credit card.

A separate filing by attorney Kathryn Moore notified the court of an intent to raise issues of Lake’s “fitness to proceed and/or rely on the defense of lack of criminal responsibility.”

Moore, who works for the public defender’s conflicts office, declined to comment and did not respond to a written question about the court filings.

The court order for the exam was issued April 27.

The criminal charges relate to the unauthorized use of university “p- cards,” or procurement cards, Washington County Prosecuting Attorney Matt Durrett has said, and a police affidavit in the case stated that an investigation found 248 unauthorized purchases.

The police affidavit states that approximately $200,000 in purchases were made at electronics retailer Best Buy, with records showing items such as gaming computers then later sold on Facebook.

Lake worked for more than five years at UA until her February 2021 resignation. She was booked into jail on Sept. 29 of last year and then released the same day from the Washington County jail on a $ 3,500 bond, according to records released by the Washington County Sheriff’s Office.

In October, Lake pleaded not guilty to the criminal charges.