Northwest Arkansas Men Sentenced to a Combined 38 Months in Prison for Offenses Related to Bribery in Connection With a Bank Loan

FAYETTEVILLE, AR—United States Attorney for the Western District of Arkansas Conner Eldridge announced that William B. Hemm, age 33, of Fayetteville, Arkansas, and Christopher Lee Talley, age 41, formerly of Northwest Arkansas, were sentenced today for offenses related to a conspiracy to bribe a bank officer in order to a obtain a bank loan. Hemm was sentenced to 24 months’ imprisonment, three years of supervised release, and a $10,000 fine. Talley was sentenced to 14 months’ imprisonment, three years of supervised release, and a $10,000 fine. United States District Judge Jimm Larry Hendren presided over the sentencing in Fayetteville, Arkansas.

According to documents filed in the case, Talley, as manager of Memphis Sports Management LLC, conspired with Hemm, an officer of ANB Financial, N.A., Fayetteville, Arkansas, to pay Hemm $60,000 in order to obtain approval of a $6,200,000 loan for Memphis Sports Management. Additionally, Hemm misapplied $82,500 of the loan proceeds of Memphis Sports Management to Spitfire Aviation LLC for the rental of a private jet aircraft. The $60,000 bribe was paid in Las Vegas, Nevada, after Hemm and Talley traveled there on the chartered plane. On July 31, 2012, Hemm pleaded guilty to one count of misapplication of bank funds and one count of conspiracy to solicit funds with the intent to influence a business transaction with a financial institution. On that same day, Talley pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to pay a bribe to a bank officer in order to influence a business transaction with a financial institution.

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Office of Inspector General of the FDIC. Assistant U.S. Attorney Steven Snyder prosecuted the case for the United States.