This is a roundup of felony charges filed March 28 through April 11, 2025, by the Clark County Prosecutor’s Office. Some defendants may also have misdemeanor charges against them, but most are not included here. The following names and charges, which are contained within public documents, are gathered from online court records available through ARCourts. Defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty. Here’s a rundown of felony cases filed in the past two weeks:
Texville man charged for attack on firefighters during illegal burn
A Clark County man was arrested for an attack on a pair of volunteer firefighters sent to probe the source of unlawful burning.
The county was under a burn ban on the evening of March 20, when the DeGray Fire Department was summoned to a complaint at the Killingsworth Trailer Park on Arkansas Highway 8 West. Fireman Mike Pritchard had located the burn pile at a Texas Street residence when he was approached from behind by a “very large male who appeared to be angry or upset and talking out of his head, and then suddenly left and went into his residence.”
The resident would later be identified as 34-year-old Corey Rosskuokoa Hall.
Fireman Robert Eakin arrived shortly after, standing alongside Pritchard when a “very upset” Hall approached again. Ordered to stay back and return to his abode, Hall allegedly attacked them, striking Pritchard in the jaw. Pritchard and Eakin both attempted to restrain Hall, but all three went to the ground during the kerfuffle. Hall got back on his feet and retreated to the porch of his residence.
The sheriff’s office was called to the scene. The firemen, fearing that Hall might be retrieving a weapon, took cover behind a truck. Hall again started toward them and was ordered to stay away. As a deputy’s sirens neared, Hall returned to his porch until law enforcement arrived.
The first deputy responded and waited behind his patrol car for backup. Hall reportedly ran toward the deputy in a very aggressive manner. Hall allegedly ignored commands to stop and got within the officer’s safe zone, prompting him to deploy his Taser, which incapacitated Hall to allow for an arrest.
Both firemen were treated at the scene by paramedics. Pritchard was sent to the hospital Emergency Room to be examined for injuries suffered in the attack.
Hall is being charged with second-degree battery, a Class D felony punishable by up to 6 years in prison and/or a fine of up to $10,000. He was also charged with unlawful burning and resisting arrest, both misdemeanors.
Hot Springs squatters busted for burglary
A pre-dawn DWI arrest helped authorities solve a rash of thefts in rural Clark County, leading to the arrest of a Hot Springs duo accused of a slew of charges.
On March 13 a deputy sheriff observed an SUV, hauling a utility trailer loaded with a side-by-side, cross the centerline numerous times on Highway 7 South. A traffic stop ensued, and the driver, 38-year-old John Billy Gray Jr., was placed in custody on suspicion of DWI. His passenger was identified as Autumn Dean Polston, 34.
An inventory of the vehicle yielded a bunch of random items such as a lamp fashioned of deer antlers, multiple battery-operated hand tools, antique ceramic figurines wrapped in an old cloth, an a plastic tote containing ceramic dishes as well as mail and debit cards belonging to a River Road resident.
Investigators were then alerted to a possible theft at that location, and responded to find the front door ajar and the home ransacked. Inside the residence detectives found deer antler lamps and old cloth matching what had been found in Gray’s vehicle. Later that day investigators confirmed with the homeowner that the items had been indeed stolen from the property.
Authorities discovered that Gray and Polston were believed to be squatters staying at the residence without prior authorization.
Police also learned of other thefts on River Road, including a 1970s model Ford Tractor, a custom 1965 Chevy pickup truck and a ‘60s model Chevy sedan.
Investigators checked the local scrapyard to discover Gray had sold hay prongs off of a tractor and attempted to sell a customer 1965 Chevy pickup.
Polston was arrested for her alleged involvement on March 17.
A $50,000 bond was recommended for both suspects. The court set Gray’s bond at $85,000, and Polston’s at $30,000.
Both are charged, as habitual offenders, with residential burglary, a Class B felony punishable by 5-40 years in prison; unauthorized use of property to facilitate a crime, also a Class B felony; theft of property valued between $5,000-$25,000, a Class C felony that carries a prison sentence of 3-30 years; and breaking or entering, a Class D felony punishable by up to 15 years in prison.
Monticello man accused of sexually grooming child
A Drew County, Arkansas man is accused of being sexually inappropriate with a young girl while residing in Arkadelphia.
Richard “Ricky” Dewayne Wilkes, 32, of Monticello, was served with an arrest warrant on April 4, 2025, at the Clark County Detention Center following an investigation by Sgt. Sherry Cleek and interviews with the victim at the Percy and Donna Malone Child Safety Center.
According to court records, allegations surfaced in December 2024 when the prepubescent female told the child safety center that, while living in the same home with Wilkes, he had touched her inappropriately and showed her nude photos of himself.
Upon filing charges, Wilkes’s bond was set at $75,000.
He is charged with second-degree sexual assault, a Class B felony that carries a prison sentence of 5-20 years, and sexually grooming a child, a Class D felony punishable by up to 6 years in prison.
Sex offender found with undocumented social media, email accounts
A home visit with a registered sex offender led to the recent discovery of a phone containing an undocumented email address and multiple social media apps.
Michael Lewis Balch, 51, of Arkadelphia, was arrested March 24, two weeks after authorities paid him a visit at his Arkadelphia residence and made a discovery looking through his phone. The phone was seized in a March 17 search warrant.
Balch’s most recent residential verification had been filed March 5 following his release from Arkansas Community Corrections.
Prosecutors charged Balch, a Level 2 offender, for failing to register and are seeking a sentence enhancement given his status as a habitual offender. If convicted of the Class C felony, he faces 3-30 years in prison.
Level 2 sex offender didn’t report vehicles he was driving
An Arkadelphia sex offender with a lengthy criminal history was jailed after riding around in different vehicles and with a suspended license.
Ethan Carnice Balch, 38, who is a registered Level 2 offender required by state law to report any changes to his address, employment or vehicles driven, was caught in late February by an agent of the Group 6 Narcotics Unit, driving a Lexus. Balch was pulled over and cited for driving with a suspended license. Four days later, the same agent pulled Balch over in a Cadillac; he was again cited for driving with a suspended license.
Word of Balch’s run-ins got back to Sgt. Sherry Cleek of the Clark County Sheriff’s Office, who indicted Balch for failing to report having access to the vehicles he was driving, a violation of the terms of his sex offender registration.
Prosecutors charged Balch with failure to register as a sex offender and are seeking a sentence enhancement given his status as a habitual offender. If convicted of the Class C felony, Balch faces 3-30 years in prison.
Warrant tip leads to drug arrest
A Gurdon man is facing felony drug charges after a Clark County deputy responded to a tip of a wanted man.
The deputy got word March 17 that Bobby Joe Holliman, 50, reportedly wanted by the Clark County Sheriff’s Office, was standing outside the Rodeway Inn on Arkansas Highway 53. Contact was made with Holliman, who was advised of the possible warrant. Waiting on confirmation of the warrant, Holliman admitted to being in possession of narcotics.
There was no active warrant for Holliman’s arrest, but he went to jail anyway when he surrendered drug paraphernalia, some of which contained suspected methamphetamine, on his person.
While being booked into the jail, authorities got a call from hotel staff regarding Holliman’s phone that had been found in the lobby. Attached to the phone’s case was a package of meth weighing 1.5 grams.
Holliman is charged with possession of a Schedule I/II controlled substance and possession of drug paraphernalia, both Class D felonies punishable by up to 6 years in prison.