Sheriff Scott Finkbeiner of Hot Spring County was imprisoned due to a sealed federal indictment

Hot Springs County, Arkansas – Scott Finkbeiner, the troubled sheriff of Hot Spring County, was arrested Friday afternoon and is being detained for the FBI, according to records.

Finkbeiner’s inmate record does not specify the charges he is being imprisoned under. However, according to court documents, the government filed a secret pretrial report against Finkbeiner on Monday morning. They’re holding him without a bond.

Finbeiner’s activities during his time as sheriff have led to both federal and county accusations against him. Since he is an elected official and has not yet been proven guilty of any charges, he continues to serve as the county sheriff even though a federal judge ordered him to cease all law enforcement activities in December 2023.

Although the first allegations against Finkbeiner were brought by the government in October 2023, the trial has been postponed twice because grand juries have returned indictments against him, the most recent of which was in November 2024.

The sheriff is charged with six counts in the November indictment, including allegedly carrying firearms while under the influence of drugs and allegedly lying to the FBI while the agency was looking into a drug dealer in the county.

Finkbeiner is charged with sexual solicitation and unlawful access to criminal records for personal benefit in Hot Spring County. The court in this case ordered the arrest affidavit to be sealed in order to “preserve the integrity of the jury pool.”