Fired Executive to Face Charges for Pulling Gun on Company President

Embarrassed and sorry, a Fullerton executive has apologized for using a gun to frighten the company president who fired him, his attorney said Saturday.

Nevertheless, the district attorney will pursue charges filed late last week against Steven A. Sherman, the former assistant vice president of Silvercrest Industries, said his attorney, Robert D. Chatterton of Orange. The charges of assault with a deadly weapon involve a May 26 incident in which Sherman held company president Richard Simonian at gunpoint for 10 minutes and pushed him out of his chair, Chatterton said.

Santa Ana-based Silvercrest Industries, one of the West Coast’s largest makers of factory-built homes, is a publicly traded company with a market value of $9.6 million.

The incident is unrelated to a Silvercrest subsidiary’s recent bankruptcy filing regarding an $80-million manufactured housing development in the San Fernando Valley, Chatterton said. Neither Sherman nor Simonian were available for comment.

At a June 16 arraignment, Sherman will plead not guilty because the gun was not loaded and “he didn’t try to hit him with it,” Chatterton said.

Sherman, 41, of Fullerton had worked for the corporation for 18 years. His father, Howard Sherman, is chairman of the board. His wife is secretary to the president, Chatterton said.

On May 26, Sherman broke into a management meeting where he and Simonian argued over “personal” matters, Chatterton said. “Mr. Sherman didn’t handle some of the criticism that Mr. Simonian had given him. Mr. Simonian fired him. . . .”

Sherman was “a little frustrated,” Chatterton said.

Sherman left the office, then returned and reportedly pulled out a handgun, threatening Simonian. “He used it and brandished it. He scared Mr. Simonian with it and that’s wrong,” Chatterton said. “I think he pushed him to the floor.

“He’s the first to admit that what he did was wrong and for no good reason,” Chatterton said.

Sherman then went home, called Chatterton and told him he wanted to turn himself in to police, the attorney said. Sherman turned himself in at the nearest police station in Buena Park, Chatterton said.

Sherman was arrested and released on bail, Chatterton said.

Chatterton said he met with Simonian on Friday and extended Sherman’s apologies.

Simonian, he said, was “supportive of Steven in the sense that he understands Steven was awfully frustrated over things that happened. He hopes the courts or the district attorney do not seek to punish him.”