Photo courtesy of the Lawrence County Sheriff’s Department
An arrest warrant has been issued for 70-year-old Hoxie Mayor Dennis Coggins following a judge’s ruling Friday that found probable cause to charge him with felony theft.
Coggins is accused of unlawfully taking flooring materials purchased by the city. The charge – theft of property valued between $1,000 and $5,000 – is classified as a Class D felony under Arkansas law.
Court records state that on March 15, 2024, the City of Hoxie bought 45 boxes of laminate flooring for $3,221.96 from a Home Depot in Jonesboro, intending to use it for renovations at City Hall. While 15 boxes were used in the mayor’s office, the remaining 30 boxes were stored for future use.
Investigators say those remaining boxes went missing when the Hoxie Police Department attempted to repurpose them for its own office. Witnesses, including the city clerk and treasurer, told authorities the flooring had been taken from storage at the direction of the mayor and installed at a private residence.
On April 8, 2025, officers executed a search warrant at a home on SE Front Street, where they discovered the same flooring installed. Investigators also located an unopened box with a SKU number matching the city’s original purchase receipt. According to court documents, the residence is owned by Coggins, and the city was never reimbursed for the missing flooring, valued at approximately $2,147.70.
The investigation remains ongoing.
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