A former Arkansas local district court judge was arrested Thursday in Little Rock on criminal charges related to his alleged solicitation of sex in exchange for agreeing to take action in a criminal case pending before his court, the Justice Department said.
According to court documents, Thomas David Carruth, 63, of Clarendon, was an elected Monroe County District Court judge.
In April 2022, Carruth allegedly solicited sex from a defendant’s girlfriend in exchange for expediting that defendant’s trial date.
Carruth allegedly lied to FBI agents when questioned about the incident.
Carruth is indicted on three counts of honest services wire fraud, three counts of using a facility in interstate commerce to further illegal activity, one count of bribery, one count of making false statements and one count of obstruction of justice.
If convicted, Carruth faces up to 20 years in prison on the main charges.