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By Ed Meyer
Beacon Journal staff writer
POSTED: 01:50 p.m. EST, Jan 22, 2008
Five family members and friends of former Evergreen Corp. President David B. Willan testified this morning that they will put up their homes and property to back a signature bond that defense lawyers are requesting for Willan's release from the county jail.
Willan, named in multiple first-degree felony charges of a 147-count Summit County indictment alleging widespread Akron-area mortgage fraud, has been held in lieu of a $3-million cash bond since his Dec. 19 arrest.
The two-hour bond modification hearing was held before Common Pleas Judge Thomas A. Teodosio, but because of a conflict with the court's criminal schedule for other cases, no decision was made on Willan's release.
Teodosio scheduled the hearing to resume on Friday at 2 p.m., at which time prosecutors are expected to call several witnesses to testify that Willan is a serious flight risk.
In cross-examination of defense witness Sue Ann Willan, the defendant's mother, Assistant Summit County Prosecutor Colleen Sims said Willan is charged with ''stealing millions of dollars'' of Evergreen funds.
Sims, in a brief filed with the court, said Willan formed an Evergreen subsidiary, Evergreen Homes LLC, in 2001, and that $2.8 million was ''unaccounted for'' from that firm alone.
Testifying on behalf of Willan, in the most emotional moment of the hearing, his niece, Lorraine McMullen, told the court Willan ''has been like a father to me.''
McMullen, a Kent State University graduate student in psychology, said her biological father died of cancer when she was 8 and that Willan ''stepped up at a young age'' to take care of her, her brother and other members of their family whenever they needed help.
Weeping openly on the witness stand, McMullen strongly denied prosecution claims that Willan would be a flight risk, saying:''He would never, ever leave us.''
About a dozen supporters of Willan were seated in the public gallery during the hearing. Among them were his mother and father, Russell Willan, who testified that they would put up their home in Seville and 10 acres of adjoining property as backing for a signature bond.
Willan is one of 17 defendants named in the indictment.
Five family members and friends of former Evergreen Corp. President David B. Willan testified this morning that they will put up their homes and property to back a signature bond that defense lawyers are requesting for Willan's release from the county jail.
Willan, named in multiple first-degree felony charges of a 147-count Summit County indictment alleging widespread Akron-area mortgage fraud, has been held in lieu of a $3-million cash bond since his Dec. 19 arrest.
The two-hour bond modification hearing was held before Common Pleas Judge Thomas A. Teodosio, but because of a conflict with the court's criminal schedule for other cases, no decision was made on Willan's release.
Teodosio scheduled the hearing to resume on Friday at 2 p.m., at which time prosecutors are expected to call several witnesses to testify that Willan is a serious flight risk.
In cross-examination of defense witness Sue Ann Willan, the defendant's mother, Assistant Summit County Prosecutor Colleen Sims said Willan is charged with ''stealing millions of dollars'' of Evergreen funds.
Sims, in a brief filed with the court, said Willan formed an Evergreen subsidiary, Evergreen Homes LLC, in 2001, and that $2.8 million was ''unaccounted for'' from that firm alone.
Testifying on behalf of Willan, in the most emotional moment of the hearing, his niece, Lorraine McMullen, told the court Willan ''has been like a father to me.''
McMullen, a Kent State University graduate student in psychology, said her biological father died of cancer when she was 8 and that Willan ''stepped up at a young age'' to take care of her, her brother and other members of their family whenever they needed help.
Weeping openly on the witness stand, McMullen strongly denied prosecution claims that Willan would be a flight risk, saying:''He would never, ever leave us.''
About a dozen supporters of Willan were seated in the public gallery during the hearing. Among them were his mother and father, Russell Willan, who testified that they would put up their home in Seville and 10 acres of adjoining property as backing for a signature bond.
Willan is one of 17 defendants named in the indictment.
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