HARRISBURG, Pa. -- Attorneys for Artur Samarin, the Ukranian national who posed as a student at Harrisburg High School for four years under the name "Asher Potts", say the 23-year-old had no bad intentions when he came to the United States and plans to plead not guilty to all charges he faces.
Adam Klein and Clarke Madden, attorneys for Susquehanna Twp.-based law firm Smigel, Anderson, and Sacks were retained by Samarin on Saturday under the recommendation of one of his friends. The two hope a judge will reduce Samarin's bail so they can get him out of Dauphin County Prison.
"Obviously it's a roller coaster," Klein said of Samarin's current state of mind. "You're in high school one day and Dauphin County Prison the next which is a tough place to be."
Klein, a former Dauphin County deputy district attorney, and Madden, a former deputy attorney general under Kathleen Kane, stressed the situation is still fluid, and more charges and arrests could come as early as later this week. Yet, according to Madden, they feel "many more facts which will become known" about Samarin which will help their case.
"He came from an extremely challenging environment in the Ukraine and we are learning more about the environment he found himself in here in our community," Madden said. "That experience of war would affect his upbringing."
Harrisburg Police say Samarin came to the United States on a temporary visa four years ago. He obtained a drivers license, birth certificate, and social security card, and proceeded to fool the Harrisburg community into thinking he was "Asher Potts."
While enrolled at Harrisburg High School, "Potts" was a member of the National Honor Society and ROTC Cadet program. He also joined the Swatara Township Citizens Police Academy, of which he passed a background check.
On February 23, Samarin was arrested and charged with six felony counts, including identity theft. Three days later, two additional charges were added that he slept with a 15-year old student while he was 22. On Monday, Swatara Twp. charged Samarin with identity theft and lying to police for his involvement in the Citizens Police Academy.
Klein and Madden plan to plead not guilty for Samarin on all ten charges. His first hearing is scheduled for Friday, March 4. Both have expressed their need to have time to prepare, since they've only been gathering facts on the case for a few days.
"This is a kid who came here with an opportunity to make a contribution," Madden said. "He deserves to be and we certainly hope that he will be considered for the person he is...because he is a real person."
