Published: Tuesday, February 17, 2009
Sentencing postponed for Everett yacht broker
EVERETT — An Everett yacht broker will have another two weeks to pay on the more than $950,000 he owes the state for failing to pay sales taxes he collected from customers.
A Snohomish County judge on Tuesday delayed the sentencing for Ronald J. Sperry until March 4. The former vice commodore of the Everett Yacht Club pleaded guilty in November to first-degree theft and 16 counts of filing a false tax return.
Sperry, 60, faces more than four years in prison. Prosecutors agreed to let Sperry withdraw his guilty plea to some of the charges depending on how much he pays back to the state.
So far Sperry has paid back $3,000, Assistant Attorney General Scott Marlow told Snohomish County Superior Court Judge Larry McKeeman. Marlow asked to proceed with the sentencing.
Sperry’s attorney Tom Cox asked for the extension and explained that Snohomish County prosecutors filed a separate theft charge against Sperry late last month.
Sperry wants to see that matter resolved before the sentencing, Cox said.
Prosecutors accused Sperry of floating a bad check for more than $70,000 in 2007. Sperry failed to show up for a Feb. 10 arraignment hearing on that charge and the judge ordered a warrant for his arrest.
Cox asked McKeeman to quash the warrant, but the judge said he couldn’t since no one from the prosecutor’s office was present at the hearing. Sperry was allowed to leave the courthouse Tuesday despite the warrant.
A Snohomish County judge on Tuesday delayed the sentencing for Ronald J. Sperry until March 4. The former vice commodore of the Everett Yacht Club pleaded guilty in November to first-degree theft and 16 counts of filing a false tax return.
Sperry, 60, faces more than four years in prison. Prosecutors agreed to let Sperry withdraw his guilty plea to some of the charges depending on how much he pays back to the state.
So far Sperry has paid back $3,000, Assistant Attorney General Scott Marlow told Snohomish County Superior Court Judge Larry McKeeman. Marlow asked to proceed with the sentencing.
Sperry’s attorney Tom Cox asked for the extension and explained that Snohomish County prosecutors filed a separate theft charge against Sperry late last month.
Sperry wants to see that matter resolved before the sentencing, Cox said.
Prosecutors accused Sperry of floating a bad check for more than $70,000 in 2007. Sperry failed to show up for a Feb. 10 arraignment hearing on that charge and the judge ordered a warrant for his arrest.
Cox asked McKeeman to quash the warrant, but the judge said he couldn’t since no one from the prosecutor’s office was present at the hearing. Sperry was allowed to leave the courthouse Tuesday despite the warrant.
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