Forrest City Man Arrested For Sending Threatening and Obscene Letters

The St. Francis County Sheriff's Department is pleased to announce that an arrest has been made following an investigation into threatening letters mailed to St. Francis County residents while falsely claiming to be Sheriff Bobby May. Cody Dale Taylor, 26-year-old from Forrest City was arrested yesterday and is charged with Criminal Impersonation 2nd Degree and Harassing Communications, both Class A Misdemeanors. Taylor is scheduled to make his first appearance today in SFC District Court.  Taylor, who was in custody in Green County on charges there where he admitted to sending similar letters.   

The investigation began in July 2026 after multiple residents received letters containing threatening, sexually explicit, and racially offensive content that purported to have been written by Sheriff Bobby May.

On September 11, 2026, St. Francis County investigators assisted the Paragould Police Department in a related investigation involving threatening letters and emails. A search warrant was executed at Taylor's residence involving the citizens of Paragould, Arkansas.  During the interview with investigators, Taylor admitted to mailing approximately five to six letters to residents in St. Francis County and acknowledged targeting recipients in a specific area of the county. His admissions were consistent with evidence developed during the investigation.

The St. Francis County Sheriff's Office takes threats, harassment, and the impersonation of public officials very seriously. Anyone who sends these types of letters can expect to be thoroughly investigated and prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.