Former Hot Spring County Sheriff Scott Finkbeiner enters guilty plea in circuit court case

HOT SPRING COUNTY, Ark. – Court records show the former sheriff of Hot Spring County has entered a guilty plea in a circuit court case while awaiting sentencing on federal charges.

Scott Finkbeiner entered a guilty plea on Tuesday with Special Prosecutor Robbie Jones in Hot Spring Circuit Court for unauthorized use of a database and sexual solicitation. Both charges were listed as misdemeanors, and he was assigned 180 days in jail for the database use and 90 days for solicitation, to be served concurrently.

He was also assessed $4,500 in fines to be paid by Aug. 1.

The case between the state and Finkbeiner opened in May 2024 with charges that he used a sheriff’s department database in May 2023 to get information that, according to the charging document, he was going to use for criminal purposes. On the same day, he offered someone money to have sex, the document states.

Finkbeiner pleaded guilty in February to his federal charge of giving falsifying, concealing and misleading information in the FBI’s investigation into drug activity in his county. In an agreement, the government withdrew five additional charges against him.

His case was delayed several times as the grand jury made superseding indictments against him, listing additional charges.

Finkbeiner was an elected official and remained in office until the day he made his guilty plea. He was not, however, allowed to perform law enforcement duties while the investigation and trial were underway. He resigned the day he made his guilty plea.

Finkbeiner has not yet been assigned a federal sentence.