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Poway's Ex-Superintendent Court Appearance Delayed

Ed. Note: The pretrial hearing scheduled for Monday, Jan. 29 was continued. 

The former superintendent of Poway Unified School District, who is accused of taking unauthorized pay and vacation with the district's funds, as well as using a district credit card for personal expenses, is scheduled to appear in court Monday for a pretrial hearing.

In August, John Collins pleaded not guilty to four felony counts of misappropriated public money. 

Collins was fired in July 2016 after the district hired a forensic auditor, who found Collins collected more than $300,000 in unauthorized pay by padding his salary, collecting unauthorized vacation payouts and taking off-the-books time off, according to search warrant affidavits seeking all financial records.

In an affidavit asking a judge for permission to review Collins' finances, a District Attorney investigator reported Collins used the district credit card on a 2013 trip to Disneyland with his wife that had nothing to do with school district business.

Defense attorney Victor Pippins has said Collins is being treated differently than any other public official for going to doctors appointments, which all public officials do, including prosecutors and judges. 

Pippins said his team is confident they will be able to prove his innocence. 

Prosecutor Leon Schorr has said he is being treated the same as anyone else caught allegedly stealing public funds.

Collins was the highest paid school superintendent in the county, earning $308,900 per year, with total compensation of $457,347 including extra pay, benefits, and retirement.

If convicted, Collins faces seven years in prison. 

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