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Bonds total $1.5M for 2 held in attempted robbery
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Nathaniel Dumas
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James Thomas
YOUNGSTOWN
Two men facing felony charges for their reported roles in the attempted robbery of a North Side restaurant where one man was shot dead by a police officer are no strangers to the criminal justice system.
Nathaniel Dumas, 35, of East Florida Avenue, faces charges of aggravated murder and aggravated robbery, and James Thomas, 50, of Belmont Avenue, is charged with aggravated robbery. Both men appeared Monday for arraignment before Judge Robert Milich of Youngstown Municipal Court.
Thomas is in Mahoning County jail on a $500,000 bond. He will be provided an attorney at taxpayer’s expense after telling the court he has no source of income.
Dumas is in the jail on a $1 million bond. He told the court that he will hire his own attorney.
City prosecutors told the judge that Thomas and Dumas both have lengthy criminal records.
Thomas has past arrests on charges of aggravated burglary, breaking and entering, receiving stolen property, burglary, attempted burglary, theft and possession of drugs. Court records show he was sentenced to drug court in 1999 for possession of cocaine and probation in 2008 for a theft.
Prosecutors read off a more extensive criminal history for Dumas that includes a six-month jail sentence in 1995 for improperly handling a firearm; a one-year jail sentence in 1996 for drug abuse; and a five-year jail sentence in 1998 for felonious assault.
Prosecutors also said Dumas has previous arrests on charges of carrying concealed weapons, possession of drugs, possession of crack, domestic violence, illegal possession of a weapon, aggravated menacing, assault and domestic violence.
Court records show that Dumas has an open case out of Boardman for violating a protective order against him in January.
Dumas also was set to be re-sentenced for assault and contempt-of-court charges before Judge Elizabeth Kobly of Youngstown Municipal Court on April 1, but failed to appear for the sentencing. He had been given a six-month sentence on the assault and one year on the contempt charge, but appealed the sentence.
Prosecutors pointed out that had Dumas appeared in court for sentencing as ordered, he would not have been free to plan and attempt to carry out the restaurant robbery.
According to police, off-duty Youngstown Officer Mike Walker was working security at the Galaxy Seafood restaurant on Belmont Avenue and was in the back of the business when Warren V. Wright, 32, of Youngstown, walked in around 6 p.m., pointed a gun at a worker at the front of the establishment and demanded money.
Wright died after being shot in the chest by Walker. Police said Dumas was the getaway driver, but his involvement tied him to a death and he was charged with aggravated murder.
Police Chief Jimmy Hughes did not get specific as to why Thomas is not facing a murder charge, but did say he is expected to be a witness in the case.
Hughes said Walker is back to work, but he is still undergoing counseling in the wake of the shooting.