Arrest warrant out for accused Seattle schools embezzler
Apr 2, 2013, 9:51 AM | Updated: 10:19 am
The former Seattle School District official at the center of an embezzlement scheme is a no-show in court.
A warrant is out for his arrest.
A judge issued a $100,000 warrant for Silas Potter, who once ran a million dollar district program designed to train mostly women and minority-owned businesses to bid for district contracts.
Potter, 60, was arrested in Florida last year after failing to appear for his arraignment. He returned to King County and bail was set at $100,000, eventually reduced to $10,000. This time, he failed to show up for a pre-trial hearing so the judge issued the bench warrant. His April trial date has been delayed until May 13.
Potter faces 42 counts of theft. Investigators claim Potter and two co-defendants stole as much as $250,000 in school district funds by awarding contracts to certain companies who performed little or no work. In some cases, prosecutors say Potter set up dummy businesses and issued fraudulent invoices.
If Potter is convicted, he faces a sentencing range of 43 to 57 months in prison.
