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Jan. 5 (UPI) -- A former district court judge in Arkansas was arrested Thursday, and charged with solicitation of sex in exchange for agreeing to take action on a criminal case pending before his court. FBI agents arrested Thomas Carruth in Little Rock, Ark., the Justice Department said in a statement.
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Clarendon served as an elected judge on the Monroe County District Court. He is still an active member of the Arkansas Bar Association.
Prosecutors contend the 63-year-old solicited sex from the girlfriend of a defendant in exchange for expediting that defendant's trial date.
Carruth allegedly lied to FBI agents when questioned about the incident, which occurred in April 2022. Arkansas State Police are also assisting with the investigation.
Prosecutors charged the former judge with three counts of honest services wire fraud, three counts of using a facility in interstate commerce in furtherance of unlawful activity, one count of bribery, one count of making false statements, and one count of obstruction of justice.
He faces up to 20 years in prison if convicted.
