Ex-Financial Advisor Wants To Take Back Guilty Plea
By Keith Gushard, The Meadville Tribune, Pa. |
"If you go to trial, you'll face all the charges against you," Vardaro said to Seagren.
"I know, I know," Seagren responded.
Vardaro then issued orders to schedule a hearing for Seagren to withdraw his guilty plea and to continue Seagren's trial until the March term of county criminal court. No date has been set as of Monday afternoon for the plea hearing.
Seagren was facing up to 62 years in prison and
If Seagren now is permitted by the court to withdraw his guilty plea, he then would face trial on the 52 charges filed against him -- 22 counts each of theft by deception and theft by unlawful taking and eight counts of forgery.
If Seagren would go to trial and be convicted on all 52 counts, he could face up to 388 years in jail and
"He told me he wanted to withdraw his plea upon my arrival this morning," Antkowiak said during Seagren's brief court appearance Monday.
Antkowiak said he planned to withdraw as Seagren's attorney in light of Seagren's request to change his plea.
"Ethically I can't represent him since he wants to now change his plea," Antkowiak said following court.
"I want to withdraw the plea because I was pressured into it," Seagren said when asked by a reporter following the hearing.
District Attorney
"But, it is part of the process and we'll be ready to go to trial in March," Schultz said.
Seagren had been the woman's insurance agent and financial adviser, according to the arrest affidavit
Police allege Seagren took money from the woman between
The charges were filed by
In
In an interview with police, the woman said Seagren has been her financial adviser for 30 years but that she never gave Seagren permission to sign anything and never agreed to pay Seagren any sum of money, according to the affidavit.
Seagren remains free on
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