Two former Conway School District maintenance employees were arrested Tuesday and face three theft of property charges each after prosecutors said they used district funds to swap a car’s engine and make questionable purchases of automotive parts over a two-year period.
Bruce Harrell, 56, who served as a maintenance supervisor for the district, and Justin Turney, 55, were booked into the Faulkner County Jail and released the same day, according to the jail’s online inmate roster. Court records show their alleged activities spanned from 2023 to 2025.
The arrests stem from an investigation prompted by Prosecuting Attorney Carol Crews in September 2025. According to affidavits filed by an Arkansas State Police investigator, the inquiry began after the Conway School District initiated an internal review of maintenance department spending. The district hired the McDaniel Wolff law firm to conduct the investigation, which unveiled troubling financial practices.
Harrell reportedly disclosed that he allowed maintenance employees to approve purchases of automotive parts on the district’s dime without adequate oversight. The investigation found that the money was used not only for routine maintenance but also to swap an engine in one of the district vehicles—a costly repair that raised red flags. Multiple purchases of questionable automotive components, billed to the district, were flagged during the 2023-25 timeframe.
Though the Conway school system spans several campuses with hundreds of vehicles and equipment, these particular transactions stood out in the district’s financial records. The mechanic work allegedly benefited Harrell and Turney personally, investigators say.
The theft of property charges hinge on the misuse of public funds allocated for maintenance and repairs, which prosecutors contend were diverted for unauthorized vehicle work. Each count of theft corresponds to separate incidents identified during the two-year period. The district and state authorities continue to examine other related expenditures, but no additional arrests have been announced at this time.
This case serves as a reminder of the challenges school districts face in managing large maintenance budgets, especially with fleets of vehicles used daily to support educational operations. The Conway district, which oversees dozens of schools from elementary through high school, relies heavily on its maintenance staff to keep facilities and transportation running smoothly. When oversight breaks down, it can affect both taxpayers and the quality of services students depend on.
District officials have not commented publicly on the arrests, but their decision to engage an outside law firm underscores the seriousness with which they treated the situation. Internal investigations into employee conduct and spending are relatively rare in Northwest Arkansas school systems and tend to attract attention when they involve criminal charges.
These arrests come amid broader concerns in Faulkner County and the region about safeguarding public resources, especially as districts across the state continue to tighten budgets. While the Conway School District has one of the larger maintenance operations in the county, it shares many challenges with neighboring districts like Bentonville, Rogers, and Fayetteville, which all handle similar levels of fleet maintenance and repair.
The specifics of the engine swap—such as the vehicle involved, the cost, and who exactly benefited—remain under wraps pending ongoing investigations and court proceedings. But court documents clearly indicate the probe uncovered enough evidence of improper conduct to warrant criminal charges.
Harrell and Turney’s case will move through the Faulkner County court system, and no trial date has been announced. If convicted, both face penalties that could include restitution and jail time, dependent on the value of the property allegedly stolen and other factors.
For NWA residents, this situation is a cautionary tale about the importance of transparency and accountability in local institutions. Even in relatively routine operations like maintenance departments, lapses in internal controls can lead to costly abuses of public money.
As always, keeping an eye on school district budgets and how funds are spent isn’t just the job of accountants or school board members—it’s something that benefits every taxpaying family in the area. With new questions raised about Conway’s maintenance funding, taxpayers and parents alike will be watching to see how district leadership steps up to prevent similar issues in the future.
Meanwhile, the community waits to learn more as legal proceedings take their course, highlighting that no public agency, no matter how large or small, is immune from scrutiny when it comes to managing its resources.
Source: NWA Democrat Gazette
