Former El Dorado mayor arrested for theft after moving funds without permission

EL DORADO, Ark. (KNOE) – Former El Dorado Mayor Veronica Creer has been arrested on theft charges.

According to Attorney General Tim Griffin’s office, special agents with the Public Integrity Unit made the arrest today (October 1).

Creer’s arrest comes after an investigation was launched into funds Creer diverted from a nonprofit organization.

Griffin issued the following statement in a press release:

“In October 2023, Veronica Creer closed the bank account of El Dorado Crime Stoppers, a nonprofit organization where she had previously served as a board member. She withdrew all $23,544 in the account in the form of a cashier’s check and, a few months later, had the check forwarded to another nonprofit: Parents United Against Youth Violence. Ms. Creer had not been active as a board member of El Dorado Crime Stoppers since 2016, although she was still listed as a signatory on the organization’s bank account. Her decision to withdraw the money and send it to another organization was not approved by anyone but her.

When the El Dorado Police Department learned of Ms. Creer’s actions, they notified Jeff Rogers, United States Attorney for the 13th Judicial District, who subsequently assigned my office’s Public Integrity Unit to investigate. Special agents in my office arrested Ms. Creer this afternoon and she was taken to court in Union County where she will face trial. My office’s special prosecutions department will handle the case.

I appreciate the work done by my office and the El Dorado Police Department on this case, as well as the collaboration with District Attorney Rogers. We are all equal before the law and I will continue to enforce the law.”

Creer was charged with one count of receiving stolen property.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates.

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