ERIE, Pa.—Erie County Councilman Ebert Beeman wants to withdraw his federal court guilty plea to Social Security fraud.

The 63-year-old official, well-known for his ultra-libertarian views and related brushes with the law, is set to be sentenced July 20. County officials have said they planned to pursue his removal from office at that time.

The Erie Times-News ( http://bit.ly/M17vMT) reports Friday that Beeman and his new attorney now claim he's innocent and wishes to stand trial on charges to which he pleaded guilty in March.

Beeman had acknowledged using a fraudulent Social Security number and aliases to apply for two credit cards and two jobs since 2007 but, according to a new motion filed Friday, "firmly believes in his heart he is innocent of the charges levied against him."

He was elected to council in 2009.

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Information from: Erie Times-News, http://www.goerie.com