Fonda Hawthorne, a former Arkansas state representative, has been arrested on a theft of property charge for allegedly making several thousand dollars in unauthorized purchases on the Little River Chamber of Commerce debit card.
Hawthorne is the executive director of the Little River Chamber of Commerce.
Hawthorne made her first court appearance Thursday in the Sevier County Circuit Court in De Queen, Ark., before 9th Judicial Circuit Court Judge Tom Cooper.
Hawthorne was told to return to Ashdown and turn herself in at the Little River County Sheriff's Office where she was booked into the county jail, according to officials.
Hawthorne's bond was set at $7,500. She posted the bond Thursday afternoon and was released from the Little River County jail. Hawthorne is scheduled to appear in the Little River County Circuit Court on Jan. 30 for her formal court arraignment.
A bank in Ashdown notified a chamber board member about suspicious activity on the chamber's debit card, according to court records. Allegedly, there were several transactions totaling $16,000.
The case is an ongoing investigation, said Prosecutor Bryan Chesshir.
Hawthorne has a history of public service in the region.
She was the former De Queen/Sevier County Chamber of Commerce executive director and the former Sevier County Economic Development director.
Hawthorne served as a Democrat for the Fourth District Arkansas House of Representatives from 2012 to 2014.
District 4 encompasses Little River and Sevier counties and part of Howard County.
Hawthorne was hired as head of economic development in De Queen and Sevier County in January 2011 after a career with Southwestern Electric Power Co.
She also served as executive director of the Texarkana Regional Initiative, a regional economic-development group that sought to attract business and industry to Southwest Arkansas, Northeast Texas and Northwest Louisiana.
She was a member of the De Queen Lions Club, Southwest Arkansas Development Alliance and Arkansas State Chamber of Commerce and serves on community advisory boards for Domtar and Ash Grove Cement.
Hawthorne was also active in several organizations including Millwood Lake Focus Committee, Domtar Community Advisory Team, Ash Grove Citizens Committee and City of Ashdown/Domtar CAT Community Auction Committee.
She is also a former president of De Queen Lions Club and Ashdown Rotary Club. She organized and coordinated Little River Leadership Program, and started a similar program in Sevier County.
Hawthorne has worked for De Queen/ Sevier County Chamber of Commerce and as the economic development officer for the city of De Queen and Sevier County.