MULTIPLE ARRESTS Judge puts wedge in revolving jail door

The often-arrested man was released twice from the overcrowded jail.
By PATRICIA MEADE
VINDICATOR CRIME REPORTER
YOUNGSTOWN -- Edward J. Thomas' days of emergency jail release and rearrest are over.
From early January through Sept. 14, Thomas has racked up five car theft-related and gun cases, four pending at Mahoning County Common Pleas Court. The fifth case, a misdemeanor, is in Mahoning County Area Court in Boardman.
He has twice -- June 4 and Sept. 10 -- received emergency release from the Mahoning County jail, which is limited by federal court order to hold no more than 296 inmates. Jail capacity is 596.
After Thomas' Sept. 6 arrest, Judge James C. Evans of Mahoning County Common Pleas Court issued arrest warrants for Thomas. The judge revoked Thomas' bonds and ordered that the jail not grant him yet another emergency release.
Thomas wasn't held in jail on the warrants -- he had already been released by the time they were issued, sheriff's Sgt. Glenn Kountz said.
Thomas was, however, arrested again this week on new charges. Kountz said Thomas won't be released again, as per Judge Evans' order.
Thomas, 21, of East Warren Avenue, known on the streets as Roach, faces charges of receiving stolen property (a 30-day license tag), no driver's license and unsafe vehicle. Police said he has never had a license and his temporary permit, which is under suspension, expired in 2003.
Latest arrest
At arraignment Tuesday in municipal court, his bond was set $10,000. He will be back in court Sept. 29 for a preliminary hearing. If the charge of receiving stolen property, a felony, is bound over to a grand jury, Thomas will have five cases in common pleas court.
Sheriff Randall A. Wellington has called Thomas a "prime example" of inmates who get out and get arrested again.
Police stopped Thomas around 6:30 p.m. Monday on the South Side after noticing the 1985 Oldsmobile he was driving had two bullet holes and a large crack in the windshield. Officers said he was speeding on Hudson Avenue and pulled him over on West Ravenwood Avenue.
The vehicle's temporary tag, stolen Sept. 12, was supposed to be on a Chevrolet, reports show.
Police said the steering column on the Oldsmobile was peeled, a method used to start a stolen car without a key. Thomas had no keys to the vehicle but may have started it with a screwdriver found on the floorboard, reports show.
The Oldsmobile was not listed as stolen at the time of the report, police said. During the arrest, police heard someone tell Thomas: "They're just gonna let you out [of jail] in the morning like the last time!"
Here's the list
Records show these cases pending at common pleas court:
*From January -- receiving stolen property (Chevrolet Caprice stolen from Niles) and possession of criminal tools. Bond is $7,500. Thomas was found to be indigent and received a court-appointed lawyer, Thomas Hough. The case is assigned to Judge Evans.
*From February -- receiving stolen property (Buick LeSabre stolen from Liberty). Bond set at $100,000. Hough was appointed for this case, too. The case is assigned to Judge Evans.
*From May -- carrying a concealed weapon (loaded .357-caliber Magnum). Bond set at $35,000. Court-appointed lawyer is Doug Taylor. The case is assigned to Judge Evans.
*From Sept. 6 -- receiving stolen property (an Oldsmobile Alero stolen from Struthers) and improper handling of a firearm in a motor vehicle. The charges were bound over to a grand jury Sept. 14. His court-appointed lawyer's name wasn't immediately available.
One witness told police that Thomas carries a gun because a lot of people want to kill him over stealing cars.
Records show this case pending at Mahoning County Area Court, Boardman:
*From April -- receiving stolen property (sound equipment from car break-in). Bond set at $2,000. Court-appointed lawyer is Bo Pritchard. The case is assigned to Judge Joseph M. Houser.
Thomas' adult criminal record began in May 2002, soon after he turned 18.
Municipal court records showed he was charged with receiving stolen property (a car) on May 20, 2002. The charge was amended to a misdemeanor a month later. He was given credit for 31 days served in jail and placed on one year's probation.
A month later, in July 2002, Thomas was again charged with receiving stolen property. The charge was amended to a misdemeanor in October 2002. He was given credit for 24 days served in jail and placed on one year's probation, records show.
In March 2003, Thomas was again charged with receiving stolen property (a car), but this time the felony charge was not reduced to a misdemeanor but bound over to common pleas court. Judge Maureen A. Cronin sentenced Thomas to three years' community control, commonly called probation, in November 2003.