Judge postpones criminal trial of former Lynn Haven mayor Margo Anderson for 11th time

Tom McLaughlin, The News Herald
·2 min read

LYNN HAVEN — U.S. District Court Judge Mark Walker waited until almost the last possible moment to once again continue the criminal trial of former Lynn Haven Mayor Margo Anderson and construction mogul James Finch.

The decision to push back the trial from Monday's start date until July 25 followed a Friday status conference that concluded, according to court records, at 3:30 p.m., a scant 90 minutes ahead of the close of business for the week.

Margo Anderson, former Lynn Haven mayor.
Margo Anderson, former Lynn Haven mayor.

Walker himself decided to push back the trial.

"On this Court’s own motion, and without objection from the parties, this Court continues the trial last set for June 27, 2022, to July 25, 2022," the order to continue said. "This Court finds that a reasonable delay of the trial is appropriate and that the ends of justice that will be served by granting the continuance outweigh the interests of the public and defendants in a speedier trial."

Anderson was initially indicted Aug. 18, 2020, along with then-Lynn Haven City Attorney Adam Albritton, on more than 60 federal charges. Those included conspiring to defraud, numerous counts of wire fraud and embezzlement of federal funds. She also faced counts of depriving the city of Lynn Haven and its residents of their right to honest services and lying to federal agents.

Finch's name was added to the Anderson/Albritton indictment in March of 2021 alongside that of Antonius Barnes, a former Lynn Haven city councilman. Albritton and Barnes have each pleaded guilty in the case.

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Anderson and Finch have maintained their innocence and vigorously fought the charges against them. Attorneys for the two recently succeeded for the second time in having a charge that Anderson and Finch conspired in several ways to defraud the citizens of Lynn Haven thrown out by the court.

The most recent continuance marks the 11th granted in the case. The trial is now slated to begin at 8:15 a.m. July 25 in U.S. District Court in Tallahassee.

Albritton, who has pleaded guilty to charges of wire fraud and honest services fraud, is scheduled to be sentenced July 7. Barnes, who pleaded to making false statements to a federal lending institution, is due to be sentenced July 15.

The Anderson and Albritton indictments came nine months after five others, including former Lynn Haven City Manager Michael White, had been charged with federal crimes. Those charges stemmed from a scheme in which two businesses worked with White to falsify invoices that allowed them to steal millions in FEMA debris removal funding assistance coming to the city following Hurricane Michael in October of 2018.

All five are scheduled to be sentenced Sept. 15, according to federal documents.

This article originally appeared on The News Herald: Criminal trial date of former Lynn Haven mayor pushed back to July 25