Case Management Hearing for Former Manatee County Administrator Scott Hopes Postponed to January
The case management hearing for Scott Hopes, former Manatee County Administrator, has been rescheduled to January 30, 2025. Hopes faces multiple charges stemming from alleged misconduct during his tenure, including accusations of submitting inaccurate timecards in 2021 and 2022 that led to thousands of dollars in overpayments from the county.
Additional allegations, detailed in a probable cause affidavit from the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office, claim that Hopes forged and unlawfully notarized signatures on documents to discharge debts for three county residents and deleted official records from his county-issued work phone prior to his resignation in February 2023.
The state attorney’s office has formally charged Hopes with three third-degree felonies. The upcoming hearing in January will address these charges and potentially set the stage for further legal proceedings in the case.