Fort Smith's incoming internal auditor facing felony stalking charge in Oklahoma
FORT SMITH, Ark. (KNWA/KFTA) — Fort Smith's incoming internal auditor is set to appear in court in Oklahoma for a felony stalking charge next month, according to court documents.
On Tuesday, the Fort Smith Board of Directors unanimously approved a resolution to hire Rebecca Cowan for the position of internal auditor with an annual salary of $110,000.
According to Talk Business & Politics, Cowan, 48, is facing a felony stalking charge in Oklahoma.
Court documents filed in LeFlore County say on March 15, 2023, a man identified as Cowan's husband received a notification on his phone that there was an Apple AirTag near him.
The man went to a friend's house, and they found the tag zip-tied under his truck.
Authorities later found that the AirTag was linked back to Cowan's phone number. The man said he was divorcing Cowan at the time and this was not the first time he had been tracked by her, according to the affidavit.
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A detective with the LeFlore County Sheriff's Office spoke with Cowan over the phone to get her side of the story. Cowan said she only put an AirTag in her daughter's bag.
The detective tried to contact Cowan multiple times two weeks later, but she reportedly did not answer any of the calls, the affidavit said.
The husband's friend gave a statement detailing where they found the AirTag and said Cowan had a previous history of stalking.
Cowan was arrested in connection with that case in Sebastian County on June 7, 2024, and was transferred to LeFlore County on June 10, 2024. She is set to appear in LeFlore County court in Poteau on May 21.
Cowan's start date as internal auditor for Fort Smith is set for May 27.
The city of Fort Smith responded to Cowan's arrest with a statement.
The City of Fort Smith is aware of recent media reports concerning Rebecca Cowan, who was appointed as the City's Director of Internal Audit on April 22. The applicant disclosed references to ongoing legal issues as part of her application materials. As this involves a personnel matter and a personal, active legal situation, the City of Fort Smith will refrain from further comment until that process is complete.
City of Fort Smith
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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