Probe urged in ex-chief’s buys

$9,273 in purchases flagged in Damascus credit card audit

CONWAY — A prosecutor has asked the Arkansas State Police to conduct a criminal investigation of certain purchases made by the Damascus former police chief.

In a letter dated Monday, Prosecuting Attorney Luke Ferguson indicated that he based his request involving former Chief Rick Perry on an Arkansas Legislative Audit report.

“Documentation provided by the Arkansas Legislative Audit has raised concerns regarding a number of credit card charges that appear to have been made by the former police chief,” Ferguson wrote in the letter to Col. William Bryant, state police director.

A legislative audit released this summer found that Perry had made credit card purchases totaling $13,227 between Nov. 30, 2014, and March 26 of this year. The audit found that a business purpose was not documented for $9,273 of those purchases.

According to the audit report, auditors could not determine the validity of these purchases:

$2,973 for “unknown items” bought from Amazon. com and Wal-Mart. $2,400 for grocery items. $2,089 for restaurant meals, “most of which were in or close to the City.”

$688 for clothing, including shoes.

$596 for postal services. $332 for household items. $195 for miscellaneous items.

Ferguson’s letter said Perry sold body armor for $300 and a ballistic vest for $250 to two former police officers without proper authorization from the Damascus City Council — an action Ferguson said may be in violation of state law.

“I also ask that this action be included as part of the investigation,” Ferguson wrote.

Perry’s position as chief was eliminated April 13. The letter does not say when Perry sold the armor and vest, and no reference to that information was available in the audit report released to the public.

Perry could not be reached for comment early Tuesday evening. There is no residential phone listing in Damascus for a Rick or Richard Perry.

Ferguson released the audit report and his letter to the state police Tuesday to the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette in response to requests under the Arkansas Freedom of Information Act. Damascus is in both Faulkner and Van Buren counties. Both are in the 20th Judicial Circuit, which Ferguson oversees as a prosecutor.