SLO judge issues arrest warrant for Ryan Petetit

July 28, 2016

CLARIFICATION: The alleged misunderstanding was not between Ryan Petetit and his criminal attorney Patrick Fisher, but with one of his civil attorneys.

ORIGINAL: Embattled PB Companies developer Ryan Petetit did not show up to a debtor’s examination hearing in San Luis Obispo Superior Court Wednesday, prompting a judge to issue an arrest warrant. An attorney representing the developer claimed the no-show was a result of miscommunication between Petetit’s criminal and civil lawyers. [Tribune]

Petetit, 28, currently has several criminal and civil cases. The developer is accused of violently attacking his girlfriend, writing bad checks, breaching contracts and committing fraud. A lawsuit filed earlier this year also raised allegations that Petetit commingled investor funds, diverted investment monies, utilized shell companies and treated company assets as his own.

On Wednesday, Petetit was scheduled to appear at two criminal hearings, as well as one civil hearing. The civil hearing was for a breach of contract lawsuit filed last November by Petetit’s former attorney, Richard Rossi.

In April, a judge awarded Rossi a $1,615. judgement because Petetit did not respond to the lawsuit. On Monday, Judge Charles Crandall issued monetary sanctions and awarded Rossi an additional $500.

Petetit was required to appear in court Wednesday in order to report his financial assets. When Petetit skipped court, Crandall issued a $2,500 bench warrant for his arrest.

Patrick Fisher, Petetit’s criminal defense attorney, said his client planned to post bail Wednesday and have the warrant recalled.

Since PB Companies was founded in 2012, prosecutors have charged Petetit with five felonies and five misdemeanors. Follow Petetit’s arrest for violently beating his girlfriend last November, his partner John Belsher, 61, said Petetit was no longer involved in managing PB Companies. However, the men appear to still be working together, and have changed the names of many of their companies multiple times.

During the past few years, Belsher and Petetit have been under fire for allegedly not paying subcontractors, commingling funds, violating building codes and funneling investor monies into several companies they created, without disclosing their ownership to investors.

Belsher and Petetit have also gained attention for their ties to San Luis Obispo County Supervisor Adam Hill. Several sources have told CalCoastNews that Hill has worked as a consultant for PB Companies. Hill has also filed a statement of information saying he was a managing member of a consulting company tied to the development firm.