A Maine man accused of defrauding the federal authorities needs to be launched from jail forward of his trial subsequent month, arguing that well being issues give him the next probability of catching COVID-19 and struggling extra extreme issues from the illness.
In a federal courtroom submitting Tuesday, the lawyer for Nathan Reardon argued that his shopper must be launched as a result of he’s overweight and has Kind-2 Diabetes, each circumstances which have been proven to make folks extra inclined to contracting COVID-19.
Different medical circumstances embody anxiousness, low testosterone, hypertension, bronchial asthma and decrease again issues, based on the federal courtroom submitting written by Reardon lawyer Hunter Tzovarras.
The medical information don’t point out if Reardon is vaccinated in opposition to COVID-19.
If he have been to be launched, Reardon would agree to not use the web as a situation of that launch, based on the submitting.
Tuesday’s submitting is Reardon’s second try to get out of jail after a choose present in April that he had violated his preliminary bail circumstances and ordered him held with out bail whereas awaiting trial on allegations that he defrauded a pandemic-era enterprise aid program.
It’s additionally Reardon’s second try in lower than per week to vary the course of his case earlier than his trial. On Monday, Reardon filed a movement to vary the situation of his trial from Bangor to Portland, arguing he can’t get a good trial in Bangor resulting from in depth media protection.
Reardon is charged with defrauding the Paycheck Safety Program after he allegedly obtained a $60,000 mortgage from the pandemic enterprise aid program by mendacity about his companies. He has pleaded not responsible.
Moreover, Reardon, who had been free on bail since April 2021, was arrested in April of this yr for violating his bail and has been in jail ever since.
U.S. Justice of the Peace Choose John C. Nivison discovered Reardon violated his circumstances of launch when he sought federal rental help that his bail circumstances barred him from looking for with out a probation officer’s approval.
Reardon appealed that call quickly after he was ordered held with out bail, however U.S. District Choose Lance Walker denied his enchantment. The Tuesday submitting from Reardon is an enchantment of that denial to the first U.S. Circuit Court docket of Appeals in Boston.
The U.S. Legal professional’s workplace in Maine, which is prosecuting Reardon’s case, plans to file a movement objecting to Reardon’s launch, Assistant U.S. Legal professional Andrew Lizotte stated.
Reardon’s Monday movement arguing for a change within the trial location argued that widespread media protection of Reardon’s prison case and his previous alleged wrongdoings would stop Reardon from having a “honest trial” in Bangor.
Prosecutors have additionally opposed that movement, declaring that the protection has come from media retailers in each the Portland and Bangor markets.
There was protection of Reardon because the begin of his case. Of specific concern, nevertheless, was that “publicity peaked” in April 2022 and that protection is predicted to “solely intensify as soon as the trial attracts nearer and begins,” based on Reardon’s movement.
April is when the Bangor Day by day Information printed a collection of articles on Reardon and a battle with Bangor metropolis officers that led the town to sentence a portion of the Bangor Mall.
The protection additionally centered on Reardon’s enterprise practices and the character of his sprawling enterprise empire that features dozens of firms, a path of debt to just about 100 former workers, and $100,000 in fines for labor violations along with the federal fraud case for alleged misuse of pandemic Paycheck Safety Program cash.
The protection highlighted Reardon’s monitor document as a property supervisor renting out flats to tenants as effectively.
Reardon sued the BDN over its protection in April, alleging defamation, and he sued one other information outlet, Information Middle Maine, late final yr.
