Man facing third weapons case gets 100k bond

August 3, 2017 at 12:02a.m.

YOUNGSTOWN

Despite being 18 and having no job, no car and no property, LeQuan Charlton was able to give a combined $3,800 in two separate cases since April to a bondsman to get out of jail.

Wednesday, he was given a $100,000 bond in municipal court after being arraigned for the third time since April on drug and weapons charges.

Charlton, of East Judson Avenue, is charged with improper handling of a firearm in a motor vehicle, being a felon in possession of a firearm and possession of drugs after he was arrested about 7 p.m. Monday. Police found him passed out in a running car in the 400 block of Clearmount Avenue.

Charlton was indicted June 1 on drug and weapons charges after an April 20 search warrant was served at his home investigating drug activity. He was free on $13,000 bond at the time of the indictment.

On June 1, just hours after the indictment was issued, Charlton was arrested again on drug and weapons charges after another warrant was served at his home. In that case, he managed to post a $25,000 bond. He was indicted in July in that case.

Charlton was given a cash or surety bond in his previous cases and Wednesday, which means he can give 10 percent of the bond amount to a bondsman, who in turn will guarantee the rest of the money to the court if he does not show up for future court appearances.

When he was arrested Monday, police found a semiautomatic handgun in the car that had an extended clip loaded with 22 rounds of ammunition along with a bag of powder that later was determined to be fentanyl, said city Prosecutor Dana Lantz. Lantz said Charlton has a juvenile conviction for carrying a concealed weapon, which bars him from having a firearm.

When he was arraigned via video hookup from the Mahoning County jail, Charlton asked for a court-appointed attorney. Under oath, Magistrate Anthony Sertick Jr. asked Charlton if he had a job or any assets that could be used to help pay for an attorney, such as property or a vehicle, to determine if he had the money to hire his own lawyer.

Charlton answered no to each question. When Magistrate Sertick asked him how he supports himself, Charlton said he lived with his mother. He was given court-appointed counsel.

During the April search warrant at his home, police recovered $1,330 in cash.

In his current case, he will have a preliminary hearing Aug. 9.