Embezzlement counts dropped for ex-Oklahoma City councilman

OKLAHOMA CITY — Prosecutors have dismissed embezzlement charges against a former Oklahoma City councilman accused of taking at least $165,000 from charities under his control.

Oklahoma County court records indicate three embezzlement counts against John Albert Pettis Jr. were dismissed Wednesday. Pettis, 36, still faces a felony charge of failing to file state income tax returns.

Pettis resigned from his council seat shortly after the charges were filed in May 2018. He was accused of taking funds from the Oklahoma Institute for Minority Affairs, a charity Pettis founded, and of making cash withdrawals from the Rhonda K Hutson Foundation, a charity whose stated mission is increasing awareness of an aggressive type of breast cancer. He had pleaded not guilty to the charges.

Oklahoma County District Attorney David Prater said he dismissed the embezzlement counts because he didn’t have confidence in the evidence supporting them, The Oklahoman reported .

Read more: https://www.swtimes.com/news/20190510/embezzlement-counts-dropped-for-ex-oklahoma-city-councilman
(Fort Smith Times Record)