EL PORTAL, FLA. (WSVN) - An El Portal councilman accused of embezzlement appeared in court to face multiple charges.
Councilman Harold Eugene Mathis Jr. was charged with second-degree organized scheme to defraud, grand theft and forgery on Friday, one day after he was taken into custody.
His defense attorney, Bijan Sebastian Parwaresch, said his client’s charges exceed the nature of the case.
“This is an employment theft case. They are always very unfortunate, but this is not a different case than any other employment theft case,” said Parwaresch. “I think it’s an unfortunate situation, but it’s highly overcharged.”
Mathis is accused of embezzling money from a law firm where he worked as a paralegal.
He has been placed under house arrest and received an alternate bond of $37,500.
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