Court date continued to Jan. 13 for Kent City Councilman-elect Ken Sharp

Published 4:04 pm Monday, December 23, 2013

The King County Superior Court hearing for Kent City Councilman-elect Ken Sharp on his first-degree theft charge has been continued to Jan. 13.

Sharp, 66, will take his oath of office Jan. 7 at the first council meeting of 2014 as he begins a four-year term after winning the November election.

“We’re still reviewing the discovery we’ve received and the prosecutor indicated more discovery is still coming,” said defense attorney Mark Prothero in an email.

Sharp had a hearing Monday, Dec. 23. At a hearing, a trial date can be set or attorneys can ask for more time to prepare the case and receive a new hearing date from the judge.

The Kent businessman faces seven counts of first-degree theft for reportedly stealing $297,500 from his 93-year-old mother’s bank account and putting the money into his account. If convicted as charged, Sharp faces a prison sentence of 22 to 29 months. He also would have to give up his council seat. Sharp pleaded not guilty to the charges Aug. 29.

King County prosecutors filed charges Aug. 15 against Sharp. Federal Way Police arrested him for investigation of theft on June 21. His mother lived in Federal Way at the time of the alleged theft.

Sharp, who owns Minuteman Press, defeated Bailey Stober in the November council race by 272 votes, 48.24 to 46.66 percent. Write-in candidates received 5 percent. Sharp beat Stober and Barbara Phillips in the Aug. 6 primary. Sharp will replace Elizabeth Albertson on the council. Albertson didn’t seek re-election.