Judge reduces $250M bond
Nearly a year after police filed a spate of charges against a Charleroi man, accusing him of having a sexual relationship with a then-15-year-old girl, a Washington County judge has reduced the defendant’s $250,000 bond to $1 but ordered he must secure a residence in the county and maintain supervision by the probation office.
Evan Glenn Bell, 48, whose last address was an apartment, was still an inmate in the county jail Thursday afternoon. Judge Gary Gilman gave Bell permission to make phone calls to find a place to live, and, once he is released from jail, he must wear an electronic monitor that requires him to stay at home.
Bell’s case was scheduled for jury selection in January, but when he did not stand trial, his attorney, Jack Puskar, filed a motion notifying the court that Bell, incarcerated since his arrest in late February 2015, had not been tried before a state-imposed 180-day deadline. Puskar also realized he had a discussion with Bell’s wife, who was a potential witness for the prosecution.
“Rather than have a conflict, I just decided to withdraw,” Puskar said Thursday.
Forty-eight days’ worth of postponements were attributed to requests by the defense.
Assistant District Attorney Kristin Clingerman objected to the lowering of the bond and asked Bell remain in jail becaused of Puskar’s conflict of interest. She referred comment to Deputy District Attorney Dennis Paluso, chief of litigation, who said, “Mr. Puskar had a clear conflict of interest. Mr. Bell will be getting a new attorney. The commonwealth will be prepared to go to trial when the new attorney is available.”
Charleroi Regional police also accused Bell of giving the girl alcohol while they were together between October 2014 and January 2015, court records state.
Police allege he persuaded her to lie to her parents, who forbade her to see him, according to the affidavit supporting the criminal charges in the case. Bell also allegedly gave the girl a cellphone to conceal their conversations from her parents and investigators.
On at least one occasion, police said, Bell gave the girl enough alcohol to make her sick.
Bell was charged with statutory sexual assault, involuntary deviate sexual intercourse, indecent assault involving a person under 16, unlawful contact with a minor, furnishing liquor to minors, corruption of minors, reckless endangerment, intercepting communications, interference with the custody of children and intimidation of a witness.
District Judge Larry Hopkins, who set the $250,000 bond, dismissed a charge of supplying cigarettes to a minor, but the remainder of the counts against Bell were held for trial.