Lonoke, Arkansas, may be the most corrupt town in America. With a population of just over 4,000, the town's mayor, police chief and police chief's wife were arrested earlier this week on charges which include making crystal meth and taking inmates out of jail to have sex with them
Lonoke County prosecutor Lona McCastlain joined 'Situation’ to speak about the new developments surrounding her town.
To read an excerpt from their conversation, continue to the text below. To watch the video, click on the "Launch" button to the right.
TUCKER CARLSON, HOST, 'SITUATION’: I've been to Lonoke, Arkansas. I never noticed anything particularly odd about it. I never bought crystal meth from anyone, never had sex with a prison inmate. Tell me, what happened to this town?
LONA MCCASTLAIN, LONOKE COUNTY PROSECUTOR: There's nothing odd and nothing bad about Lonoke. It's a wonderful town. We have had some extraordinary circumstances lately, and obviously, they've made national news, but the people there are very good. I mean, I think it's been a shock for them.
CARLSON: I believe it. I mean, I remember it as a very good town. Tell me, the chief of police selling crystal meth? His wife having sex with inmates? What are the charges exactly against these two?
MCCASTLAIN: OK. The state has alleged charges against the chief for conspiracy to manufacture methamphetamine, conspiracy to commit residential burglary, theft by receiving. Obstructing—let's see. Let me look here.
CARLSON: That's all right. That's enough to satisfy me on that.
MCCASTLAIN: Hindering—a couple of counts of hindering apprehension. And then the chief's wife had several charges, about 11 different charges, from residential burglary, theft by receiving, theft of property, obtaining controlled substance by fraud. Several different charges. And then there were a couple of bondsmen that were charged, also.
CARLSON: Now, is it a crime to have sex with an inmate in Arkansas?
MCCASTLAIN: It is a crime if you are furnishing prohibited articles to a prisoner.
CARLSON: She's charged with taking them out of jail?
MCCASTLAIN: She took them out of jail freely, and I think that's alleged in the affidavit. And you will need to refer to that. In Arkansas we have to be very careful about talking about the facts of the case.
CARLSON: Right.
MCCASTLAIN: We cannot do that. We are prohibited from doing that.
CARLSON: Of course, but just tell me what she is specifically charged with. I mean, so she went to jail and got these guys out?
MCCASTLAIN: Yes. The police chief's wife is a charged with furnishing prohibiting articles. Alcohol, we're talking about all different kinds of alcohol, marijuana, and she has provided sex to at least two of those, as the affidavit alleges by the investigator.
CARLSON: In jail?
MCCASTLAIN: Well, at different places throughout the city and the county, actually, of Lonoke.
CARLSON: Ball parks, even.
MCCASTLAIN: Yes.
CARLSON: Is it alleged that anyone saw this happening at the ball parks?
MCCASTLAIN: They saw them at the ballpark interacting. That is alleged. But not actually having sex, no.
CARLSON: Was the inmate wearing a prison jumpsuit at the time?
MCCASTLAIN: No. No, they were not. These inmates were on loan from the Arkansas Department of Corrections, providing community service. And so what they would be doing is providing, like, services to the community. One of them would be working out at the ballpark. You might have them washing cars, that type of thing. So they had a little bit more access than you would have in the Arkansas Department of Corrections.
CARLSON: Well, they were serving the community, I mean, in some strict sense, I guess?
MCCASTLAIN: A work release type program. Yes.
CARLSON: Right. I guess she interprets that a little differently than the rest of us. Now the mayor of the town has also been charged. What's he been charged with?
MCCASTLAIN: He was just charged with theft of services. He had some of the prisoners do some personal services for him: put on his Christmas tree lights, garden a little bit, fix his front porch, those kind of things.
CARLSON: And I also read that they helped fix an air conditioning for him.
MCCASTLAIN: They did. He paid them a little bit of money for that, so the affidavit alleges, but it was still improper. And he was getting services that he wasn't really entitled to.
CARLSON: Can you just quickly sum up what the reaction is of the good people of Lonoke to all this? They must be stunned.
MCCASTLAIN: I think there's a shock there. And you know, it's always disappointing when, as a law enforcement officer, I have to charge another law enforcement office.
And you know, what we've been trying to convey to the people of Lonoke and to the citizens is that, yes, we have a public trust issue here, but there are good people on that department and that everyone's going to be treated the same and that no one is above the law.
And in Lonoke County, we have brought charges. And we intend to seek justice for these individuals. And we intend to have this community back to normal just as soon as possible.