More information has been released regarding Wednesday’s resignation and subsequent arrest of an Arkansas State Police (ASP) trooper accused of unlawfully accessing crime information center records, stalking, and terroristic threatening.
Cpl. Mark Eugene Holland (pictured below in an ASP file image), 54, of Heber Springs, resigned and was arrested at a Cleburne County residence on Wednesday after an ASP investigation alleged he accessed information or records from the Arkansas Crime Information Center (ACIC) and used the info from the database to contact, stalk, and threaten an Independence County woman. Laws prohibit access and use of such records for non-law enforcement purposes. Using information gained from the records in the furtherance of committing other crimes is a Class D felony.
According to documents filed in Independence County Circuit Court, ASP authorities received information from the Independence County Sheriff’s Department regarding a complaint against Holland from the woman.
The victim told officers she had received a letter postmarked Nov. 30, 2019, in which the author stated they had “strong feelings” for the victim and they were willing to spend money for pictures of the woman.
The victim told authorities she had also been receiving anonymous emails since March 2016, according to court info. The Reply-To addresses of the emails, according to the court filing, were also referenced in the late-November letter to the victim as a means to possibly reply to the author.
The woman provided officers with 23 of the emails she said she had received since April of this year. The author of the emails made “sexual related requests” of the victim in some of the correspondence’s content, court documents said. The author of the emails also wrote they would pay for nude photos of the woman, and in one email quoted in the documents, noted “…if I have to come over there, I’ll take my own pics. I’m going to get what I want.” The email also stated, “…you are going to scream and moan, but you probably won’t really like it,” according to court information.
The victim told Independence County authorities she believed the correspondence was from Holland because of a previous message from him on her social media regarding her appearance and his ability as a law enforcement officer to access her information, the filing stated. She also told investigators her lifestyle had changed due to the harassment, stating it had caused her to fear for her and her family’s life.
During the ASP investigation, Holland was presented with some of the emails. He told the investigator he sent the emails and the letter to the victim, and he said he accessed the ACIC system “multiple times” to obtain information about her, including the location of her address, according to the court filing. A check of the database revealed Holland had accessed information about the victim at least 18 times since 2016, the court information said.
When the ASP investigator asked Holland about approaching the victim’s residence, he stated he had driven by in his marked state police vehicle multiple times to determine if the victim was home, the court info said. Holland told the investigator he was “infatuated” with the victim and had also sent emails expressing his infatuation to the victim’s husband, according to the filing.
Holland, a 19-year veteran of the Arkansas State Police, had been assigned to the Highway Patrol Division, Troop B, headquartered at Newport.
“As law enforcement officers we are expected by the public, and even among ourselves as protectors of the public, to live by standards both privately and professionally that exceed the principles of all others,” said Col. Bill Bryant, director of the Arkansas State Police, following Holland’s arrest on Wednesday. “I am both saddened and disappointed that someone who was among the ranks of the Arkansas State Police now stands accused of these crimes, but it is heartening to know we acted promptly to find the facts and present the evidence to the prosecuting attorney and court to hold this person accountable.”
Holland is facing criminal charges that include 18 counts of violating laws limiting access and use of information or records retained by the Arkansas Crime Information Center (ACIC).
Additionally, Holland is charged with terroristic threatening and stalking, also Class D felonies.
Get up-to-date local and regional news along with the latest sports and weather every weekday morning by listening to Gary B. and Ozark Newsline on Arkansas 103.3 KWOZ. White River Now updates are also broadcast weekday mornings on 93 KZLE, Outlaw 106.5, and 99.5 Hits Now. If you have a news tip or event to promote, email White River Now at news@whiterivernow.com. Be sure to like and follow White River Now on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
