Former Manatee County administrator charged with grand theft and fraud, prosecutors say
Former Manatee County Administrator Scott Hopes has been charged with three crimes, according to the State Attorney’s Office.
Last March, the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office began investigating allegations against Hopes, but the agency did not say what charges he could face. On Thursday, State Attorney Ed Brodsky detailed charges of notary fraud, grand theft and fraudulent use of public record — all third-degree felonies.
The State Attorney’s Office alleges that the notary fraud happened in October 2022, when Hopes is accused of abusing his authority as a notary public to knowingly falsify records.
The grand theft charge alleges that Hopes stole county property worth more than $10,000 but less than $20,000 between April 2021 and December 2022.
The State Attorney’s Office alleges Hopes committed public record fraud in the same time window. The charge says that he used access to public records or provided false information for a public record to commit a crime.
Specific details about the alleged crimes were not immediately available in Thursday’s news release.
Prosecutors file charges against Scott Hopes
The charges may be linked to a criminal complaint filed by Michael Barfield, a Sarasota-based paralegal, who suspected that Hopes may have broken public records law.
“He was trying to hide something, clearly, and his violation of the Public Records Act is what led to his undoing and exposing even more serious felonies,” Barfield said in an interview with the Bradenton Herald.
Hopes did not immediately respond to the Bradenton Herald’s request for comment Thursday afternoon.
Hopes, who previously served on the School Board of Manatee County, became the county administrator in April 2021. Last February, he suddenly resigned from his post. County officials and Hopes have not publicly explained why Hopes resigned.
Public records investigation
The sheriff’s office investigation focused on whether Hopes, 63, broke public records law, according to a news release in November. The agency said it received a complaint linked to a Manatee County Government records request.
The request, which has been reviewed by the Bradenton Herald, said certain public records were unavailable because Hopes had already wiped his county-issued iPad on the final day of his employment.
In a previous interview with the Bradenton Herald, Hopes confirmed that he had erased the contents of his electronic device, but he argued that the public records should be available through an online backup service.
Barfield, who forwarded the information to the sheriff’s office, said he believes Hopes broke the law by wiping his device.
“This is the culmination of the process that started when I filed a criminal complaint against Mr. Hopes for deleting public records,” Barfield said. “I applaud the sheriff’s office for its thorough investigation and the state attorney for deciding to bring criminal charges against Mr. Hopes.”
In November, the sheriff’s office passed the case along to the State Attorney’s Office. Investigators said they had reason to believe that Hopes broke the law but allowed prosecutors to determine whether Hopes would face charges.
Officials described Hope’s departure from Manatee County Government last year as a “voluntary resignation.” His separation agreement included 120 days of severance pay, six months of health benefits and one year of deferred compensation.
Hopes made an annual salary of $215,000 as county administrator.
After he departed from the county, AeroVanti, a private jet club, selected Hopes as CEO, but he was replaced a short time later. The company has since become embroiled in lawsuits.
This story was originally published February 8, 2024 at 2:37 PM.
