The Jonesboro Sun reports that Cord Rapert, 28, a former reporter at the newspaper, was arrested this week on a forgery and burglary charge. The report said he was also under investigation for credit card fraud.
Rapert, who worked for the paper from mid-January through May 18, was a witness against former Arkansas Treasurer Martha Shoffner, convicted of bribery and awaiting sentencing. Rapert had been a campaign volunteer for Shofner and later an office employee before quitting. He testified critically of her abusive treatment of office employees. Rapert also had been active in Democratic Party politics. (Past coverage about him has described him as a “distant cousin” of Republican state Sen. Jason Rapert.)
The Sun report on his arrest said a woman told police that $2,500 in camera equipment was missing after she allowed Rapert to stay at her residence. She subsequently noticed discrepancies in her checking account. One of her checks had been deposited in Rapert’s account and the Sun account said he’d been found in possession of checks from others. Rapert, who was hired at the Sun in mid-January, was arrested earlier this month on a misdemeanor criminal trespass charge.
Rapert was jailed pending a bond hearing today.