24-03-2025
Hot Springs man sentenced to 4-plus years for money laundering, wire fraud
HOT SPRINGS, Ark. – An Arkansas man has been sentenced to federal prison and fined for money laundering and wire fraud.
Officials said 57-year-old John Christopher Bates of Hot Springs waived indictment and pleaded guilty to the two charges. He was sentenced to 57 months in federal prison and ordered to pay $252,344 in restitution on March 12.
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Investigators said the charges arose from two different schemes: In the first, Bates was involved in false benefit applications to the Arkansas Department of Workforce Services for pandemic unemployment assistance, and the second, he filed fraudulent applications for an Economic Disaster Loan of over $1 million.
Officials said the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation, the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration and the Department of Labor Office of the Inspector General investigated the case.
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