HOT SPRINGS, Ark. – John Christopher Bates, 57, was sentenced last week to 57 months in federal prison for his role in money laundering and wire fraud schemes, a federal judge ruled.
In addition to his prison term, Bates was ordered to pay $252,344 in restitution and will face three years of supervised release upon completion of his sentence.
The sentencing hearing, overseen by Chief Judge Susan O. Hickey, took place in the U.S. District Court in Hot Springs.
Court records show that Bates opted to waive a grand jury indictment and instead pleaded guilty to charges of money laundering and wire fraud.
The charges stemmed from two distinct fraudulent schemes. In one, John Christopher Bates submitted false applications to the Arkansas Department of Workforce Services, which oversees the state’s Pandemic Unemployment Assistance program, to illegally obtain benefits.
In the other, he applied for Economic Impact Disaster Loans, securing more than $1 million through deceitful means.
U.S. Attorney David Clay Fowlkes of the Western District of Arkansas announced the sentencing.
The investigation was a collaborative effort involving the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation, the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration, and the Department of Labor Office of the Inspector General. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Trent Daniels and Hunter Bridges led the prosecution.
