The Associated Press

BENTONVILLE, Ark.—Former top Wal-Mart executive Tom Coughlin had permission to attend a hunter’s banquet last week where participants drank alcohol and bid on firearms, though he remains under house arrest, a probation officer said.

Myron L. Smith, chief U.S. probation officer for Fort Smith, said Coughlin, 58, attended the Benton County chapter of the National Wild Turkey Federation’s annual banquet because he’s fundraising for the group. Coughlin must perform 1,500 community-service hours after being convicted of embezzling from the world’s largest retailer.

“We’ll take into account the needs of the sponsor and other factors and take each request on a case-by-case basis,” Smith told the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette in a story published Saturday. “Our office monitors these types of situations very closely and we don’t approve them lightly.”

Coughlin is also doing community service at Decision Point, a Bentonville-based rehabilitation center, advising how it can improve its personnel and security policies.

“He called us and said he had the opportunity to help agencies through community service, and we were definitely interested, given his business background,” said Dee Pinoy, chief financial officer at Decision Point. “It’s been beneficial, and we’re making very good use of his experience.”

Carl Wicklund, executive director of the American Parole and Probation Association, said the most recognized type of community service is physical labor—picking up trash along the highway or helping build a playground. When it involves fundraising, though, the work is usually regimented.

Wicklund said it’s not a good idea to expose defendants to things they’re supposed to avoid like alcohol or guns. Under the provisions of his house arrest, Coughlin must avoid excessive use of alcohol.

“You typically don’t want to have people doing community service in close proximity to things that would be a violation of their supervision,” Wicklund said. “The idea is to come up with something that will have a positive impact on the person and enhance the community. Ideally, the experience should be a life lesson.”

U.S. Attorney Robert Balfe, who pushed for prison time after Coughlin pleaded guilty, has said he was “stunned” that the former No. 2 executive at Wal-Mart Stores Inc. was fit enough for the March 8 party after Coughlin’s lawyers successfully argued his health was too fragile for any time in prison.

Coughlin admitted to stealing cash, gift cards and equipment from Wal-Mart and pleaded guilty to federal charges in 2006.

He was sentenced to 27 months of home detention and ordered to pay $400,000 restitution.

In an appeal by prosecutors, the 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals last year said the sentence was too lenient and sent the case back to U.S. District Judge Robert Dawson.

On Feb. 1, Dawson added only 1,500 community service hours to Coughlin’s punishment after hearing testimony that Coughlin has health problems including heart disease, diabetes and hypertension. Prosecutors had asked for prison time within a range of 27 months to 33 months as foreseen by federal guidelines.

Under terms of his home detention, Coughlin can leave his cattle ranch near Centerton only for medical appointments, church or work. Coughlin can’t go more than 10 feet outside of his home without setting off an alarm on his ankle monitor if he doesn’t have permission to leave.