Cooperative charter school official gets probation

Nearly four years ago, Anthony Smoot's life was upended.

The former business manager of Dorothy June Brown's charter school network was indicted - along with Brown and three others - as a participant in a scheme to defraud the charters that Brown founded of more than $6 million.

Smoot, 53, pleaded guilty the next year, 2013, to federal charges of conspiring to obstruct justice and aiding the obstruction to assist Brown.

He testified against her during a fraud trial that ended in a hung jury in December 2013. And Smoot was poised to testify against the 78-year-old educator again. But the retrial was scrapped and Brown's criminal charges were dropped last fall after medical experts found she was not competent because she was suffering from dementia.

On Thursday, it was time for Smoot - one of two former charter officials who entered guilty pleas - to be sentenced.

"It's kind of surprising [Smoot] is standing in front of me," U.S. District Judge R. Barclay Surrick noted before handing down a sentence to the resident of New Castle, Del.: three years of probation and a fine of $3,500.

Smoot's supporters in the courtroom quietly uttered "Hallelujah" and "Praise God" when the judge announced his decision.

Under federal guidelines, Smoot had been facing 18 to 24 months in prison.

Most of the 46 friends, relatives, and church members who submitted letters attesting to Smoot's otherwise-unblemished background sat in the courtroom.

Seven testified that Smoot was a hardworking, upstanding family man who has helped others in the community. All asked for Smoot to be spared prison.

Tiffani Smoot said that because of the fallout from the charges, her husband had been unable to work as a business manager. The family had to sell its house and move to an apartment, and declared bankruptcy.

"We have been on welfare, and we have been in food bank lines," she said.

Smoot, who now works at Zenith Corp., had taken part-time and menial jobs over the last few years to support his family.

"He was even willing to work at a cemetery digging graves, even though he didn't have the experience," she said.

Nancy J. Maceoin, Smoot's public defender, said her client's trait of obedience had gotten him into trouble when he was asked to perform illegal acts by his employer.

Dressed in a gray-green suit, Smoot told Surrick: "Your honor, I am sorry for the bad decisions I have made. . . . I apologize, sir, for what I did, and I would ask for leniency when your making your decision."

Maceoin - and federal prosecutors - said that given Smoot's cooperation, he did not deserve prison.

"The government doesn't believe there's any purpose to be served in sending Mr. Smoot to jail," Assistant U.S. Attorney Frank Costello said.

Smoot declined to comment. Myra Smoot Corbin, a sister, said the family was relieved that the ordeal was over and that her brother was spared prison.

Brown founded three traditional charter schools in Philadelphia: Laboratory in Northern Liberties and Overbrook, which opened in 1998; Ad Prima in Kensington, which opened in 2004; and Planet Abacus - now known as Keystone Academy - in Tacony, which opened in 2007. She also founded the Agora Cyber Charter School in Devon, which opened in 2005.

Two of Brown's codefendants were acquitted in the 2013 trial. Joan Woods Chalker, a former administrator who pleaded guilty and testified against Brown, is scheduled to be sentenced next week.

martha.woodall@phillynews.com 215-854-2789 @marwooda