Between 1999 and 2004,Eldridge worked in various government and legal roles. He served as a legislative correspondent for Senator Blanche Lincoln,a legislative assistant for Congressman Marion Berry,and later as a law clerk to U.S. District Judge G. Thomas Eisele. [7] During his legislative tenure,his focus included agricultural policy. [3]
In 2005,Eldridge became president of Summit Bank in Arkadelphia,Arkansas,later joining the board of directors in 2006. [8] He served as corporate executive vice president and senior counsel from 2006 to 2008,and as chief executive officer from 2008 until 2010. [9] He was also appointed special deputy prosecutor for Clark County,Arkansas,in 2009.
United States Attorney
Eldridge was confirmed unanimously by the U.S. Senate as United States Attorney for the Western District of Arkansas in 2010. [4] During his tenure,his office prosecuted cases involving financial fraud,drug trafficking,and crimes against children. [10] In 2014,his office prosecuted former real estate developer Brandon Barber,who was sentenced to over five years in prison for bank fraud and money laundering. [11]
Child protection efforts
As U.S. Attorney,Eldridge’s office prosecuted over 100 individuals on charges related to child abuse and exploitation,including transporting minors for illegal purposes and producing or possessing child pornography. [12] [13] [14]
In 2014,Eldridge launched the A-Chance program (Arkansas Cultivating Healthy Attitudes and Nurturing Children to Excel) to support children exposed to violence or trauma in the home. The initiative allowed law enforcement to notify school personnel when students had experienced domestic disturbances,enabling educators to provide additional support. [15]
Operation Crystal Clear
In 2011,the FBI and local law enforcement initiated an investigation into drug trafficking activity in Columbia County,Arkansas,known as "Operation Crystal Clear." The case centered on Jamie B. Martin,who was later identified as a regional supplier of methamphetamine. The investigation included intercepted communications,controlled purchases,and led to the seizure of narcotics,firearms,and currency. [16]
Martin pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and,in April 2015,was sentenced to 20 years in federal prison. [17] The broader investigation resulted in the indictment of 24 individuals on drug-related charges.
Hate crime prosecution
In 2010,Eldridge’s office prosecuted Frank Maybee and Sean Popejoy in connection with a racially motivated assault on five Hispanic men in Green Forest,Arkansas. The incident involved the defendants using racial slurs,pursuing the victims by vehicle,and intentionally causing a car crash that resulted in serious injuries. [18]
The case was one of the first prosecuted under the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd,Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act. Maybee was convicted on multiple counts of committing and conspiring to commit a federal hate crime and was sentenced to 11 years in prison. Popejoy received a 4-year sentence. [19] Eldridge cited the case as an example of the federal government’s commitment to prosecuting bias-motivated violence.
