Thursday, October 23, 2014
BURGHILL
Mahoning County Sheriff’s deputies have arrested a suspect in an Oct. 16 bomb scare at the David Betras law office in Canfield.
Arrested today at his residence is Charles Reighard, 67, of state Route 7, Burghill, who will make his initial appearance at 9 a.m. Friday in Canfield Court on charges of extortion, retaliation, aggravated menacing and inducing panic.
Reighard is in Mahoning County jail.
Deputies arrested the former client of Atty. Betras as they executed a search warrant at Reighard’s residence, where they found pipe, the same color of wick found in the unexploded device at the Betras law firm, and unsent drafts in the wastebasket of letters from him to Betras.
Maj. Jeff Allen said Reighard has sent three typed threatening letters to Betras this year, including one after the Oct. 16 incident, saying “The next one will be at your house with your family home.”
A non-explosive pipe bomb was found outside a broken window of the law office.
Atty. Betras, Mahoning County Democratic Party chairman, arrived to find a broken window on the second story of his law office on Seville Drive.
“This is related to David Betras. I don’t believe there’d be any political motive,” Maj. Allen said.