Ex-Stockton mayor arrested, accused of stealing from kids club

In this April 21, 2016 photo, Stockton Mayor Anthony Silva participates in a mayoral candidate forum hosted by the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People in Stockton, Calif. Authorities say Silva was arrested Thursday, Aug. 4, 2016, on charges he provided alcohol to minors at a youth camp he runs. (Clifford Oto/The Record via AP) less In this April 21, 2016 photo, Stockton Mayor Anthony Silva participates in a mayoral candidate forum hosted by the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People in Stockton, Calif. Authorities say ... more Photo: Clifford Oto, Associated Press Photo: Clifford Oto, Associated Press Image 1 of / 4 Caption Close Ex-Stockton mayor arrested, accused of stealing from kids club 1 / 4 Back to Gallery

Moments after returning from a vacation in Colombia, former Stockton Mayor Anthony Silva was arrested Sunday at San Francisco International Airport on suspicion of mishandling money when he ran a youth organization more than two years ago.

Silva, 42, was transported to the San Joaquin County Jail, where he was held in lieu of $1 million bail.

He faces grand jury charges of grand theft, embezzlement, profiteering, misappropriation of public funds and money laundering. A white-collar crime enhancement was imposed on all charges, which indicates a “pattern of related felony conduct” and the theft of more than $100,000.

Silva’s attorney, Allen Sawyer, denied the accusations, which he said were related to Silva’s time running the nonprofit Stockton Kids Club. The club was renamed after the national Boys & Girls Club of America revoked the Stockton Boys & Girls Club’s charter in 2013. The local club was under Silva’s leadership at the time.

“The kids club is a nonprofit run by a board of directors, and, as far as we know, none of them has made a complaint,” Sawyer said Sunday. “We really don’t know where this is all coming from.”

The San Joaquin County district attorney’s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Silva’s attorney said the allegations may be retaliation after the former mayor beat back a felony charge in a previous case in which Silva was accused of using a cell phone to secretly record a strip poker game in his bedroom at a city-run youth camp for underprivileged children. Authorities also alleged that Silva made alcohol available during the game. One of the participants was a 16-year-old boy.

Silva was arrested in connection with that case in Amador County in August 2016. He was charged with felony eavesdropping, a charge that was reduced to a misdemeanor in October, and three other misdemeanor charges: child endangerment, contributing to the delinquency of a minor, and providing alcohol to a person under 21.

The former mayor was scheduled to have a hearing in that case this Tuesday, after Silva’s rejection of a settlement agreement in November that would have closed the case.

Last year, Silva, a first-time mayor, lost his re-election bid by more than 40 percentage points to Michael Tubbs, a 26-year-old Democrat. Silva, a populist Republican, was elected in an upset in 2012, the year Stockton filed for bankruptcy and struggled to rein in a sky-high homicide rate.

“He’s angry, tired of this whole deal, but also ready to go in and fight to clear his name again,” Sawyer said.

Marissa Lang is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: mlang@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @Marissa_Jae