He's been in and out of court for 28 years, and now he's a fugitive from the law.
Roger Scott (seen here in June) didn't show in to suburban courts, and is now a wanted fugitive.Syracuse, NY - Former lawyer Roger Scott turned 77 this month. He spent his birthday on the run — a fugitive once again.
A younger Scott managed to elude authorities for weeks on a contempt charge in 1991 as a highly publicized zoning battle over his oversized Skaneateles home came to a close. He eventually served two days in jail before his contempt fine was paid.
For the past three decades, Roger Scott has made headlines. Aging has done little to change that.
Today, Scott is a wanted fugitive out of two suburban courts after missing a petit larceny sentencing in one and an appearance in another to address a battery of neighbor-dispute charges.
The following are some of the highlights from Scott’s colorful past:
The Sausage and Pepper: Scott, then 48, was arrested in July 1982 at Tops Market on West Fayette Street and accused of eating a green pepper and part of a smoked sausage in the store without paying. A Syracuse City Court judge later dismissed the petit larceny charge.
The Big House: Scott saw his 11,000-square-foot home in Skaneateles torn down under a court order in December 1991 after years of battling the town over zoning for the oversized residence. Scott, then 58, and his wife, Rhoda, both served two days in jail for contempt for disobeying a court order to move out. The U.S. Supreme Court refused in 1993 to review the case.
The Safe Case: Scott, 59, was acquitted in February 1993 of charges he submitted a false insurance claim and lied in a court affidavit when he claimed more than $97,000 in cash and silver was stolen from a wall safe in his home after the town took possession of the residence.
Roger Scott appears in court in 1994. That year, he was convicted of felony charges of forgery and criminal possession of a forged instrument for forging bids for the demolition of his home in an attempt to block the teardown. The Forgery: Scott was convicted in January 1994 of felony charges of forgery and criminal possession of a forged instrument. He forged two bids for the demolition of his home in an attempt to block its being torn down by the town of Skaneateles. He was sentenced by Onondaga County Judge J. Kevin Mulroy to five years’ probation and 30 days in jail. He lost his law license due to the felony conviction.
The Copy Thefts: Scott was convicted in October 1994 of petit larceny and criminal possession of stolen property for underpaying Kinko’s on Erie Boulevard East for copies he made on a self-service machine using a stolen key. He was sentenced by DeWitt Justice John Centra to three years’ probation and 90 days in jail.
The Perjury: Scott, 68, pleaded guilty in July 2001 to third-degree perjury involving allegations he lied at a 1994 court hearing. Scott had claimed he had a negative net worth of $500,000 in order to have a free lawyer appointed to handle the appeal of his forgery conviction. He was sentenced by Onondaga County Judge William Walsh to a one-year conditional discharge and ordered to pay about $4,000 restitution.
The Neighbor Dispute: Scott, 69, was convicted in April 2003 of tampering with his Elbridge neighbors’ property, harassing them and throwing a bag of dead rats on their porch. He was sentenced in July 2004 to two, consecutive one-year terms in the Onondaga County Correctional Facility in Jamesville. Judge Walsh overturned the conviction in 2005, ruling Scott did not get a fair trial because he was denied the right to represent himself. Those charges are still pending, but were transferred to Clay Town Justice Christopher Gaiser. Scott missed a July 1 appearance and Gaiser signed a bench warrant.
The Shoplifting: Now 76, Scott was convicted in May of petit larceny for stealing $161.16 in merchandise from the Wegmans store in Fairmount in July 2009. Facing one year in jail, Scott failed to show up in Geddes town court for sentencing June 21. His $10,000 bail was ordered forfeited and a warrant was issued for his arrest by Geddes Justice Daniel Mathews.
Jim O’Hara can be reached at johara@syracuse.com or 470-2260.