Edmond landscaper accused of swindling high-profile clients is back in jail

Sanders, 42, who pleaded guilty in May in an unrelated case involving obtaining money by false pretenses and perjury, returned to jail Friday when a judge increased his bail to $100,000.

Sentencing for Sanders in that case was continued until Dec. 7, after a number of people testified he bilked them out of hundreds of thousands of dollars in unrelated cases.

Attorney's response

The attorney for Sanders said prosecutors tried to influence District Judge Kenneth C. Watson by calling witnesses to testify against his client, even though he has not been charged with the crimes they are alleging.

Watson ordered a $100,000 cash bond for Sanders, who had been free on $14,000 bail, after hearing from several alleged victims who appeared in court at the request of prosecutors.

The judge said testimony from the alleged victims, even though they have no connection to the cases before him, “shows a pattern of conduct on his part.”

“I don't want him out there scamming someone else,” Watson said.

Sanders' attorney, Michael McBride, said prosecutors, who want to send Sanders to prison for five years, are unfairly targeting his clients for what amounts to “bad business deals.”

“Any other person would get probation,” McBride said.

“It leads me to believe they are not prosecuting him solely on the crimes that he has been charged with.”

Witnesses subpoenaed

Prosecutors are investigating the allegations against Sanders, whose alleged victims include Prater and Adams, who received a subpoena to appear Friday, along with Langerman.