SNOW HILL -- A trial began Wednesday against a self-employed accountant who pled not guilty to accusations of multiple counts of theft totaling more than $800,000 in condominium fees.
The trial was expected to last one day, but Judge Richard Bloxom opted to take a few days to look over documents submitted before hearing closing arguments and deciding on a verdict in the bench trial. Proceedings will continue Aug. 16 at 1 p.m.
State's Attorney Steven Rakow played for the court a recording of a Feb. 9 conversation William W. Scott, 37, of Bishopville had with officers from the Worcester County Bureau of Investigation wherein
Scott waived his Miranda rights and told police he had taken money from three Ocean City condo associations and used it for other purposes. Scott had come to the Berlin state police barrack of his
own volition and asked to speak to police.
Last year, Scott served as treasurer for Sheriff Reggie Mason's campaign.
His problems began in 2007, he said, when Robert Hammond, an owner of Atlantic Physical Therapy, hired him to do his taxes and gave him $70,000 to use to pay them. Scott used the money for personal expenses, and said he meant to pay Hammond back but never did.
Scott alleged that in December 2009, Hammond found out his taxes hadn't been paid for the past two years, and told Scott he needed to present him with a cashiers check for either $170,000 or $190,000 -- he couldn't recall the exact figure.
Scott paid Hammond, he said, and continued to do so monthly, usually in installments of $3,000. He said Hammond threatened numerous times to alert authorities to Scott's illegal actions if he didn't pay.
"The only way I could think of to get the money was through the condo associations," Scott said in the recording.
The WCBI enlisted the aid of the FBI in an investigation of the alleged extortion, and had Scott engage in a monitored phone conversation with Hammond, according to testimony from Trooper 1st Class Kyle Clark.
According to Clark, Scott told Hammond he could no longer afford to pay him money each month, and Hammond told him to speak with his lawyers. The call did not give the bureaus an adequate reason to pursue Hammond, and the investigation did not continue, Clark said.
Numerous condo association members and officials -- many of whom said they'd thought of Scott as a friend -- testified they had caught wind of potential financial problems associated with Scott and found their association's bank accounts drastically depleted when they checked them. Scott allegedly used rubber stamps and forged signatures to write checks from the associations to his company. On occasion, he would transfer money from one association's account to another's.
Sunset Village Condo Association President Steve Davis said he checked the association's finances to find only $8,000-9,000, when he was expecting $240,000-$250,000.
"That was when I got that feeling in my stomach you get when you're like 'we're in really, really big trouble now,' " Davis said during his testimony.
One of the Assateague Condominium Council's accounts contained $21, and another contained $54, while the highest contained $1,700, according to Treasurer Larry Perkins. He was expecting "hundreds of thousands."
The trial was expected to last one day, but Judge Richard Bloxom opted to take a few days to look over documents submitted before hearing closing arguments and deciding on a verdict in the bench trial. Proceedings will continue Aug. 16 at 1 p.m.
State's Attorney Steven Rakow played for the court a recording of a Feb. 9 conversation William W. Scott, 37, of Bishopville had with officers from the Worcester County Bureau of Investigation wherein
Scott waived his Miranda rights and told police he had taken money from three Ocean City condo associations and used it for other purposes. Scott had come to the Berlin state police barrack of his
own volition and asked to speak to police.
Last year, Scott served as treasurer for Sheriff Reggie Mason's campaign.
His problems began in 2007, he said, when Robert Hammond, an owner of Atlantic Physical Therapy, hired him to do his taxes and gave him $70,000 to use to pay them. Scott used the money for personal expenses, and said he meant to pay Hammond back but never did.
Scott alleged that in December 2009, Hammond found out his taxes hadn't been paid for the past two years, and told Scott he needed to present him with a cashiers check for either $170,000 or $190,000 -- he couldn't recall the exact figure.
Scott paid Hammond, he said, and continued to do so monthly, usually in installments of $3,000. He said Hammond threatened numerous times to alert authorities to Scott's illegal actions if he didn't pay.
"The only way I could think of to get the money was through the condo associations," Scott said in the recording.
The WCBI enlisted the aid of the FBI in an investigation of the alleged extortion, and had Scott engage in a monitored phone conversation with Hammond, according to testimony from Trooper 1st Class Kyle Clark.
According to Clark, Scott told Hammond he could no longer afford to pay him money each month, and Hammond told him to speak with his lawyers. The call did not give the bureaus an adequate reason to pursue Hammond, and the investigation did not continue, Clark said.
Numerous condo association members and officials -- many of whom said they'd thought of Scott as a friend -- testified they had caught wind of potential financial problems associated with Scott and found their association's bank accounts drastically depleted when they checked them. Scott allegedly used rubber stamps and forged signatures to write checks from the associations to his company. On occasion, he would transfer money from one association's account to another's.
Sunset Village Condo Association President Steve Davis said he checked the association's finances to find only $8,000-9,000, when he was expecting $240,000-$250,000.
"That was when I got that feeling in my stomach you get when you're like 'we're in really, really big trouble now,' " Davis said during his testimony.
One of the Assateague Condominium Council's accounts contained $21, and another contained $54, while the highest contained $1,700, according to Treasurer Larry Perkins. He was expecting "hundreds of thousands."
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