By Associated Press - Friday, April 21, 2017

PORTSMOUTH, Va. (AP) - The attorney for a city councilman in Portsmouth says he plans to plead not guilty to forgery and identity fraud charges.

The Virginian-Pilot reports (https://bit.ly/2pZFcdj) that councilman Mark Whitaker has no plans to step down from office, either.

Whitaker is accused of passing forged checks and of identity fraud. He turned himself in Thursday but was released on an unsecured bond.

Whitaker is an assistant pastor at New Bethel Baptist Church. A special grand jury had focused on evidence about Whitaker’s church, its development company and its now-defunct credit union.

The church started the development company to buy property next door. But financing dried up. The New Bethel Development defaulted on a $2.9 million loan, with the church as collateral.

Whitaker has previously said the investigation was politically motivated.

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Information from: The Virginian-Pilot, https://pilotonline.com

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